THE
SLOTH
BEAR:
(MELURUS
URSINUS)
The Sloth Bear is listed on Appendix I of CITES (The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), which prohibits all international trade in these animals, or products and part thereof.
In India, the work of Wildlife SOS has put an end to the practice of bear dancing, and there is no longer any left in India. Bear baiting in Pakistan still continues to take place despite a ban on the practice with little hope of effective enforcement at present.
The population is unknown, but it is estimated that between 7,000 and 10,000 individuals still remain in the wild. They are found in the dry forests of India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan. It is believed that they have disappeared completely from Bangladesh in the last ten years. They were once the most numerous bear species on the Indian subcontinent.
Other names for the sloth bear include honey bear, lip bear and labiated bear. They measure between 140 and 170 centimetres and weigh between 90 and 145 kilos. The cubs weigh between 300 and 500 grams at birth, usually born alone or in pairs. They live with their mother for up to three years. Mating habits seem to vary depending on the type of climate in which they live. Populations in India for example have a restricted breeding period so that the cubs can be born in the dry periods. Other populations are able to breed all year round. The sloth bear is the only bear that carries its young on its back. Females have a longer patch of fur where cubs can cling to them whilst she travels long distances in search of termite mounts. Males are tolerant towards the cubs and the sloth bear are clearly conformable in social groups. They are uniquely adapted to their preferred diet of termites. They are able to use their long sharp claws to dig inside the mounts and have no front incisors. This is replaced by a hollow mouth cavity and a long muzzle which allows them to suck the insects in. They also eat honey, berries, fruits and vegetations. They are not predatory but have been known to eat carrion.
The sloth bear is threatened by habitat loss, and demand for gall bladders and paws. It is often involved in conflicts with human, and can be aggressive and dangerous when surprised. This coupled with damage they can cause to crops, has often led people to kill them in retaliation. The sloth bear has benefited from the existence of natural reserves established to protect other species such as tigers and elephants, but the increase in bear product demand in recent years is having a negative impact on their numbers.