The Asian Black Bear ( Ursus thibetanus or Selenarctos thibetanus ) , also known as the Asiatic Black Bear , Tibetan Black Bear , the Himalayan Black Bear , or the Moon Bear , is a medium sized , sharp-clawed , black-colored bear with a distinctive white or cream `` V '' marking on its chest . The Asian black bear ( Ursus thibetanus ) , also known as the Moon bear or White-chested bear is a medium-sized species of bear , largely adapted for arboreal life , which occurs through much of southern Asia , Korea , northeastern China , the Russian far east and HonshÅ `` and Shikoku islands of Japan .