SLOTH BEAR - ENVIRONMENT
News: 'India's
oldest' sloth bear in captivity dies at 36 in Bhopal Zoo
What's in the news?
● A
36-year-old male sloth bear died due to multi-organ failure at a zoo-cum-animal
rescue centre in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal.
Key takeaways:
● This
bear named ‘Bablu’ was the oldest one in captivity in the country at present.
Sloth Bear:
● Sloth
bears are found in Sri Lanka,
India, Bhutan and Nepal, predominantly in lowland areas.
Features:
● Sloth
bears primarily eat termites and
ants and unlike other bear species, they routinely carry their cubs on
their backs.
● They
are also very fond of honey, hence their alternative name of “honey bear”.
● Sloth
bears do not hibernate.
Subspecies:
1. Indian Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus ursinus): The bigger, well known and widespread of
the subspecies, it is found in areas with forest cover, low hills bordering the
outer range of the Himalayas from Punjab to Arunachal Pradesh.
2. Sri Lankan Sloth Bear: (Melursus ursinus inornatus): The Sri Lankan sloth bear is smaller than
the nominate subspecies. It is found in the northern and eastern lowlands of
Sri Lanka.
Habitat:
●
It is a forest-dwelling member of the
family Ursidae (comprising 8 species of bears) that inhabits tropical or
subtropical regions of India and Sri Lanka.
Protection
Status:
●
IUCN
Red List: Vulnerable
●
CITES list:
Appendix
I
●
Indian
Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I