SLOTH BEAR

                       

                         STATUS

IUCN                     :  VU 

CAMP                   :  Vulnerable - C2a 

CITES                    :  Appendices I 

Schedule              :  I (Part I) 

Population           :  230 250 

Activity                 :  Nocturnal 

Social Group        :  Single or family

👉Local name   :  Bhalu, Rinchh

👉Physical measurements & life cycle : 👇

Length              :  150 - 160 cm

Weight              :  110 - 170 kg

Height               :  70 - 100 cm

Maturity            :  2 - 3 years

Gestation           :  7 months

Litter size          :  2

Life span           :  35 - 40 years

Breeding           :  Summer

👉Description   :   Long black hairs on entire body except mouth. White "V" shaped patch on breast. Muzzle and lower lip elongated. 

👉Food   :  Omnivorous. It consumes flowers, fruits, honey, various types of insects and termites. 

👉Distribution   :   Sloth bear exists in the forests of Banaskantha, Panchmahal, Dahod and Sabarkantha districts, Chhotaudepur and Shoolpaneshwar. There might be 230-250 bears in Gujarat. 

👉Habitat   :  Prefers rocky forest area with caves. 

👉Behaviour   :   Chiefly nocturnal. Sloth bear generally lives in and around dense forest area having rocks and where water is available. It comes out of its den/cave and moves in search of food after the sun-set. It can be seen near fruit trees/shrubs like 'ber' (Zyziphus spp.), 'mahuda' (Madhuca latifolia), mango (Mangifera indica) & 'jamun' in fruiting season. During the cloudy weather, it also wanders diurnally. 

👉Signs of presence   :   Foot prints, "whoo-whoo" like sound, fallen hair on ground or hair entangled in thorny bushes or fences and drops containing seeds of fruits, broken termite mounds, claw markings on bark of trees.

👉Sloth bear is an omnivorous animal. Usually insects and fruits constitute its main food, but also feed on honey and carrion. To maintain its huge body, it needs considerable amount of food and to get it, the bear walks a lot and work hard every day. By climbing up the trees/ rocks, it knock down honeycombs of the large rock bee (Apis dorsata) and small forest bee (Apis indica) using its paws and eat them after descending from trees/rocks. Among the insects, termites are the favourite food. The bears living in the human vicinity can enter sugarcane and maize fields or steal the toddy.