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Post by brobear on May 26, 2022 5:17:14 GMT -5
Sloth Bear Out of the four bear species found in India, Sloth Bears are the most ubiquitous and widespread. A significant part of the global sloth bear population is found in India, namely in the Western Ghats, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and north-east India. Sloth bears are indeed unique in terms of morphology and behaviour. The bear stands out because of its protruding muzzle, which is possibly the longest among all the bear species. Sloth bears give birth to a maximum of two cubs per litter and the cubs are seen riding on the mother’s backs, which is unique only to this particular species. Sloth bears are myrmecophagous, i.e half of their diet consists of ants and termites. That is why they have long claws to dig up termite mounds and have also lost their front teeth which helps them to suck up insects in an efficient manner. Sloth bears face a lot of risks which include factors like human-wildlife conflict, habitat fragmentation, hunting and poaching. Earlier, the mother bears were killed so that poachers could sell their cubs to the nomadic tribe called the Kalandars. They were then eventually raised in captivity and used for entertainment purposes as part of this tribe’s 400-year-old ‘Dancing Bear’ tradition. Wildlife SOS has been working on sloth bear conservation for nearly 30 years and has eradicated this gruesome practice by freeing the last dancing bear in 2009. Not only have we rescued and freed these bears, but also rehabilitated them. Currently, Wildlife SOS runs the largest and second-largest sloth bear rescue centers in the world, in Agra and Bangalore respectively. Wildlife SOS has also helped in providing alternative livelihoods to the rehabilitated Kalandars and mitigated man-sloth bear conflicts through rescue operations, awareness generation and capacity building across the southern, western and central Indian landscapes. Moreover, Wildlife SOS has also undertaken a first-of-its-kind sloth bear denning project. Studying the denning pattern ecology of wild sloth bears in their natural habitats, further helped us understand their physiology and natural behaviour.
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Post by brobear on May 26, 2022 5:18:29 GMT -5
Out of the 4 bear species, sloth bears are the most widely spread throughout India. [Photo (c) Wildlife SOS/Lenu Kannan]
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Post by brobear on May 26, 2022 5:20:25 GMT -5
Himalayan Brown Bear There are as many as 15 subspecies of the Brown Bear, out of which we find the Himalayan Brown Bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus) subspecies in India. The Himalayan brown bear is categorised as Endangered in the IUCN Red List, most likely because its wild population is estimated to be around 500-700. As is clear from their name, these bears have a thick fur which is mostly reddish-brown or sandy in colour. Himalayan brown bears are the heaviest and largest of the four bears, with weights reaching a maximum of 550 kg for males. This species is found in higher altitudes across north-western and central Himalayas including Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Tibet and west China. In India, they are only found in J&K, parts of Himachal Pradesh and northern Uttarakhand. Himalayan brown bears are omnivorous, with their diet consisting of roots, grasses, insects and small mammals such as marmots and pikas. During autumn, they descend to lower altitudes to feed on fruits and berries. Sometimes they even become opportunistic feeders and take livestock such as sheep and goats when available. Brown bears are diurnal and generally solitary, except during mating and for mothers with cubs. These bears hibernate for the most part of winter and may lose upto one-third of their weight after emerging from hibernation. Today, various hazards pose a threat to the Himalayan brown bears including climate change, habitat loss and man-bear conflicts. But these conflicts occur because their habitats are getting degraded and shrinking day by day. Since 2007, Wildlife SOS has been assisting the J&K Wildlife Protection Department in training workshops in all the divisions of Kashmir as part of capacity building of the department officials. We also conducted awareness programs on waste management since bears were spotted in human habitations, attracted by open dustbins. Lastly, Wildlife SOS also runs two facilities in Dachigam and Pahalgam, which is home to 2 brown bears.
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Post by brobear on May 26, 2022 5:21:57 GMT -5
Wildlife SOS also runs two facilities in Dachigam and Pahalgam, which is home to 2 brown bears. [Photo (c) Wildlife SOS]
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Post by brobear on May 26, 2022 5:23:07 GMT -5
Sun Bear The Sun Bear is a very rare and elusive animal, and is only found in north-east India. Due to the limited research and study, its distribution in that region is not exactly known. However, sun bears are mostly found in the tropical evergreen forest habitat. These bears are the smallest of all the eight species found and have short, sleek fur which is usually black, but occasionally reddish-brown or grey. Another stand out feature which can help one recognise a sun bear in the wild is the distinctive chest patch, which can be orange, yellow or white. Sun bears are omnivores, feeding primarily on ants, termites, bee larvae, beetle larvae, honey and a wide variety of fruits, especially figs. They have the longest tongue of all the bear species which helps them to feed on termites and ants. Even though sun bears are listed under CITES Appendix I, they do face a lot of threats, the major one being deforestation. Apart from that, they are often killed to prevent crop damage and for fear of bears near villages. Large-scale deforestation has dramatically reduced the suitable habitat of this species as well as habitat quality of the remaining forests. It is suspected that the global population of sun bears has drastically declined by 30% in the last three decades. Thus, it is clear that all these four bear species are not completely exempt from human threats and need the attention of conservationists. Conservation of habitats, enforcing and implementing stricter laws to eliminate illegal trade of bear body parts and awareness generation are key to the protection of these precious animals. We have to work toward a future where this magnificent species can thrive and survive. To support the work that Wildlife SOS does for bear conservation, consider becoming a monthly donor or sponsor to support the upkeep of the rescued and rehabilitated bears.
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Post by brobear on May 26, 2022 5:25:06 GMT -5
SUN BEAR
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Post by brobear on Jul 5, 2022 3:56:16 GMT -5
A study on Himalayan Brown Bear in India by Rajkishore Mohanta and Prakash Mardaraj. Sun Bear ( Helarctos malayanus ) Appearance The sun bear is the smallest bear species and has a more dog-like appearance than any of the other bear species. They have bandy legs and the paws have hairless soles and long powerful claws for digging and climbing. Their black fur, unlike other bears, is very short and dense. Sun bears get their common name from the yellowish "U" shaped crescent on the chest. They have a very long, flexible tongue which is used to lap up honey and insects. Size Sun Bears are generally about the size of a medium-sized dog, weighing on average around 40 kg. and measuring just over 1 meter in length, although their maximum size is around 1.5 meters and 65 kg. in weight. Habitat These small bears inhabit dense tropical rain forests, spending much of their time high up in the trees, using their long claws to climb easily in search of fruits. They even make nests of broken branches high in the trees' canopy in which they sleep. On the ground, they continually search through the leaves and fallen branches for food. As food is available all year round in the tropical forest these bears do not hibernate. Distribution Less is known about the sun bear than any of the other bears of the world. Their range today is diminishing, but they are still found in the tropical forests of Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Borneo, and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Few are believed to be left in India and southern China. Diet Sun bears eat many plants and fruits including mushrooms and the growing tips of palm trees. The bears have a particular fondness for honey, using their powerful claws to tear open nests in trees in search of this delicacy. They also eat a variety of insects, including termites, and any edible lizards, rodents, eggs, even small mammals that they may come across in the constant search for food. They are mainly nocturnal feeders, spending much of the daylight hours sleeping in trees.
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Post by brobear on Jul 5, 2022 4:32:56 GMT -5
Threats and Status The main threat to sun bears is the destruction of forest habitat through large-scale timber logging and mining industries and for conversion to agricultural land. In recent years, forest fires in Borneo have also destroyed large areas of forest habitat. The capture of young bears for the pet trade, and the sale of bear paws and gall bladders also takes a high toll on this species. Numbers are unknown. Very little information is known about sun bears in the wild, but they are generally considered to be a threatened species.
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