Saran Vaid
Family of Sloth Bears (Melursus ursinus) spotted in Bandhavgarh National Park, India
The Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus), also known as the Lip Bear, is a mammal of the family which is native to the lowland forests of India, Nepal,Pakistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. The Sloth Bear is the only bear species classified in genus Melursus. Though originally classed as a "bear sloth" due to the shape of its claws and its arboreal habits, it was appropriately reclassified as a bear in the 1800s.
The body is 150–190 cm long, covered in long, shaggy fur, ranging from auburn to black, with a distinctive;V-shaped white mark on the chest, a whitish snout and black nose. The snout is long with bare lips and a lack of upper incisors, adaptations for its insect-based diet. The front feet are turned inwards and have 4 inch long, non-retractable, curved claws that are adapted for digging and climbing. The males, weighing 80–140 kg, are larger than the females, which weigh only 55–95 kg. Its pugmarks are very similar to a human footprint. The tail is 15-18 cm (6-7 inches) long, the longest in the bear family. Their natural lifespan is unknown, however, a captive specimen was recorded to have lived 40 years.
The age of sexual maturity in sloth bears is 3 years. Female Sloth Bears typically give birth to two cubs in December-early January after a gestation of 210 days. The cubs are typically born in a cave or under large boulders, where they remain for two to three months, and continue to accompany the mother for at least a further two years.
Sloth bears are the most nocturnal of bears, though sows with cubs will often move in daylight. They do not hibernate. Sloth bears are excellent climbers, and will stay in trees to feed and rest, though not to escape danger. They are capable of jumping from distances of 10 feet, and can hang upside-down in a sloth-like manner. They mark their territories either by rubbing their flanks against trees, or scraping bark with their claws.
The Sloth Bear primarily eats ants and termites, breaking into termite mounds with large powerful claws and eating the occupants. It uses its long tubular snout to blow away dirt and suck up the insects, the sounds of which can be heard from 100 meters away. It may also eat honey, eggs, birds, flowers, tubers, fruits, grains and meat. The animal's fondness for honey has caused it to be nicknamed the Honey bear (a nickname also given to the sun bear); it has been known to scale the occasional tree to knock down a bee honeycomb, which it will then enjoy on the ground below.
Though sloth bears kill fewer livestock than Asiatic black bears, in some areas of India and Burma, sloth bears are more feared than tigers, due to their unpredictable temperament. In Madhya Pradesh, sloth bear attacks accounted for the deaths of 48 people and the injuring of 686 others between the years 1989 and 1994, probably due in part to the density of population and competition for food sources. One specimen, known as the Sloth bear of Mysore, was singlehandedly responsible for the deaths of 12 people and the mutilation of 2 dozen others before being shot by Kenneth Anderson. Sloth bears defend themselves when surprised, with the majority of confrontations occurring at night. They typically charge on all fours with their head held low, before rearing on their hind legs and striking at their attackers with their claws and teeth.
Family of Sloth Bears (Melursus ursinus) spotted in Bandhavgarh National Park, India
The Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus), also known as the Lip Bear, is a mammal of the family which is native to the lowland forests of India, Nepal,Pakistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. The Sloth Bear is the only bear species classified in genus Melursus. Though originally classed as a "bear sloth" due to the shape of its claws and its arboreal habits, it was appropriately reclassified as a bear in the 1800s.
The body is 150–190 cm long, covered in long, shaggy fur, ranging from auburn to black, with a distinctive;V-shaped white mark on the chest, a whitish snout and black nose. The snout is long with bare lips and a lack of upper incisors, adaptations for its insect-based diet. The front feet are turned inwards and have 4 inch long, non-retractable, curved claws that are adapted for digging and climbing. The males, weighing 80–140 kg, are larger than the females, which weigh only 55–95 kg. Its pugmarks are very similar to a human footprint. The tail is 15-18 cm (6-7 inches) long, the longest in the bear family. Their natural lifespan is unknown, however, a captive specimen was recorded to have lived 40 years.
The age of sexual maturity in sloth bears is 3 years. Female Sloth Bears typically give birth to two cubs in December-early January after a gestation of 210 days. The cubs are typically born in a cave or under large boulders, where they remain for two to three months, and continue to accompany the mother for at least a further two years.
Sloth bears are the most nocturnal of bears, though sows with cubs will often move in daylight. They do not hibernate. Sloth bears are excellent climbers, and will stay in trees to feed and rest, though not to escape danger. They are capable of jumping from distances of 10 feet, and can hang upside-down in a sloth-like manner. They mark their territories either by rubbing their flanks against trees, or scraping bark with their claws.
The Sloth Bear primarily eats ants and termites, breaking into termite mounds with large powerful claws and eating the occupants. It uses its long tubular snout to blow away dirt and suck up the insects, the sounds of which can be heard from 100 meters away. It may also eat honey, eggs, birds, flowers, tubers, fruits, grains and meat. The animal's fondness for honey has caused it to be nicknamed the Honey bear (a nickname also given to the sun bear); it has been known to scale the occasional tree to knock down a bee honeycomb, which it will then enjoy on the ground below.
Though sloth bears kill fewer livestock than Asiatic black bears, in some areas of India and Burma, sloth bears are more feared than tigers, due to their unpredictable temperament. In Madhya Pradesh, sloth bear attacks accounted for the deaths of 48 people and the injuring of 686 others between the years 1989 and 1994, probably due in part to the density of population and competition for food sources. One specimen, known as the Sloth bear of Mysore, was singlehandedly responsible for the deaths of 12 people and the mutilation of 2 dozen others before being shot by Kenneth Anderson. Sloth bears defend themselves when surprised, with the majority of confrontations occurring at night. They typically charge on all fours with their head held low, before rearing on their hind legs and striking at their attackers with their claws and teeth.