Sloth Bears

The sloth bear is a creature that few people in the Western world have heard of. When asked about it, they often respond with a furrowed brow and bewildered denial. This is a great shame, for the sloth bear is a fascinating creature. The sloth bear lives in India and the countries surrounding it, and makes its home in many different habitats including scrublands, grasslands, and forests.

Though its name is confusing, sloth bears are a member of the bear family and are not related to sloths at all. In fact, they are quite fast and can run faster than a human. The European zoologist George Shaw named sloth bears for their very long claws and unique teeth. Sloth bears have been seen hanging upside down from tree branches like sloths do.

Sloth bears have long, rough hair that can be any shade of brown in color. They have white muzzles and and white patch of fur on its chest in the shape of a Y, O, or U. The long claws on these bears make them very adept at climbing trees. Their long claws also allow them to rip open termite and ant nests. Sloth bears rely on these creatures to make up the main part of their diet, though they also eat eggs, grubs, carrion, honey, sugarcane, flowers, and fruit. Sloth bears do not hibernate, and their only predators are humans, tigers, and leopards.Sloth bears are normally solitary creatures, only meeting together during breeding season. Usually two cubs are born, and they stay with their mother until they are two to three years old (San Diego Zoo). Sloth bears are completely unique in the fact that the mother bears often carry their young around on their back. Though the male has no part in raising his cubs, it is believed that sloth bears mate for life.

The sloth bear's status is vulnerable. Many of these bears are poached illegally because their gall bladders are believed to have medicinal properties. Even when they are not hunted for medicinal use, some sloth bears are killed because they are believed to be aggressive. Sadly, the opposite is true; sloth bears are very reclusive creatures that only act aggressively when they are startled. The sloth bear's habitat has been severely reduced, and cubs are sometimes stolen from their mothers to become 'dancing' bears. However, as more and more information is revealed about sloth bears, people are beginning to realize how interesting this creature is. There is still much to be learned about the sloth bear, and new strides are being taken towards preventing its extinction.

San Diego Zoo: http://www.sdzoo.com/animalbytes/t-sloth_bear.html