Assessing Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) temporal overlap and co-occurrence with sympatric species in the temperate zone of the Hindu Raj Mountain range

Ecological research focused on Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) sympatric interactions is critical for understanding not only species coexistence, but also for devising effective conservation strategies. We studied the temporal overlap and co-occurrence patterns of the Asiatic black bear and ten of its sympatric species. Asiatic black bears and Asiatic jackals exhibited bimodal diel activity patterns, with activity peaks occurring during dusk and the night. The diel activity pattern of Asiatic black bear was significantly distinct from its sympatric species (P < 0.001). We found the highest temporal overlap of Asiatic black bear with red fox (Δ4 = 0.78, 95