The Sloth Bear is a wonderfully interesting species . It is found across all states of India and shares its home with Tigers, Elephants, Leopards, and Rhinos. Its distinct long snout and a quick gait stands out when you sight it on safaris in India.
One of the most dangerous animals to encounter in the wild, its poor eyesight and constant feeding in the thickets can lead to very unsavoury encounters with humans who in and around the Indian Jungles.
The endearing character of Baloo from the Jungle Book is indeed a Sloth Bear. The depiction of Baloo as a gourmand savouring the flavours of both, fruit and insects, equally, is not too far off from reality. The size of the Sloth Bear in comparison to its food dictates that it must feed voraciously each day. Though the author of the Jungle Book may have had their priorities about India’s people wrong, the Jungle Book is still an enchanting story with the right sentiment.
About the Sloth Bear :
The Sloth Bear can be found in low lying deciduous and moist forests and foothills of India, Nepal, Sri Lanka Bangladesh, and Bhutan . They are found at altitudes from sea level, to around 1500m above msl.
In India, they occur in every state and their wild population could be at around 10000 individuals.
While preferring to walk about foraging about the forest floor for insects, fruit, and tubers, Sloth Bears are excellent climbers and can be seen quite high up in the trees feeding on ant, wasp or bee larvae.
Their long claws and this arboreal behaviour is why the Sloth Bear has the word “sloth” prefixed. By no means slow, the Sloth Bear is deceptively quick and aggressive. These solitary bears are able to protect themselves from large predators such as Tigers.
Sloth bears can stand at 6 feet in height, and can weigh up to 140 kg’s. A formidable mammal, and one of the highlights of an Indian safari tour.
Adaptations of the Sloth Bear :
· Their long thick coat helps keep insects from not easily biting into their skin. Useful for when they attack ants and termite colonies. Female bears carry their young ones on their backs, the young ones grabbing on to their mother’s thick hair for support.
· Thin and long claws allow bears to dig up the ground and termite colonies for food. Their strong nails are helpful in climbing as well as in self defence, causing serious damage to anyone who crosses paths with a Sloth Bear.
· The Sloth Bear’s long snout is extremely effective, with the bear primarily using its strong sense of smell to find food and to sense any danger. They can fit this long snout into cracks and crevices should the need to locate food arise in such places arise. Interestingly, they are able to cover their nostrils in order to prevent the entry of dust and insects as they suck and strongly exhale into places such as termite mounds for food.
· They are missing upper incisors – this helps them with suction. Their flexible lips also allow their mouth to effectively create the suction mechanism.
The dust rises as the Sloth Bear huffs and puffs into a termite mound in search of food. Its long claws peep out at you - the tool of all the damage to the mound.
The Best Places in the World to see the Sloth Bear :
1. Satpura National Park, Madhya Pradesh :
The population of Sloth Bears at Satpura Tiger Reserve in Central India is excellent, and it is likely the best place to see the Sloth Bear in the wild. Whether it be Jungle Walks, Jeep Safaris, or Night Safaris – chances here are highest. In the Summer, it is also possible to see a mother and cubs ; something that’s not usually ever seen! This beautiful landscape is also home to Leopards, Tigers, Crocodiles, Birds, and Wild Dogs.
Know more about safaris at Satpura here.
2. Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan:
Mount Abu is a famous hill-station retreat in Western India. However, not many are aware that is an excellent place to see the Sloth Bear in the wild. The altitude of the area can reach over 1700 metres. Here, a corridor in the Aravalli range exists between Gujarat and Rajasthan – thus providing sanctuary for the Sloth Bears. Wildlife enthusiasts also visit Mount Abu to find the Green Avadavat – a beautiful endemic bird of India.
3. Daroji Bear Sanctuary, Karnataka :
This South Indian sanctuary is Asia’s first Bear Sanctuary. This rocky landscape is the staging ground for most documentaries and for footage for Sloth Bears. The dry deciduous scrub landscape is famous for India’s most famous movie ever : Sholay. Other rare animals such as Leopards, Indian Crested Porcupine, and Striped Hyaena are also found here.
4. Chitwan National Park, Nepal :
Not in India of course, but this wonderful evergreen landscape of Chitwan has a rich Sloth Bear Population. It is believed that the Sloth Bear population at Chitwan is about 400 individuals. Here, it is possible to see the Sloth Bear on Walks as well as on Jeep Safaris. Asiatic One Horned Rhinoceros, Gharial, Hog Deer, and numberous beautiful birds - this pristine national park is a must visit.
Know more about safaris at Chitwan here.
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