CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

MELURSUS URSINUS, THE SLOTH

29.1 The Living

29.1.1 Zoology are large , easily recognised by their large head set with small eyes and rounded ears, heavy body, massive, short limbs and a hardly visible tail. Their body length on average ranges from about 1.4 to 1.7 metres, but may reach almost 2 metres. The paws are short and broad, fi ve-toed and bear long, curving non-retractile claws. Bears typically rise on their hind legs to look around. They walk on the sole of their feet like humans—plantigrade, thus not on their toes—, which makes their footprints resemble those of a human. The is black with a distinct whitish V-shaped breast patch. It is easily distinguished by its coat of long unkempt hair, its long claws on the forefeet (fi g. 385) and an elongated muzzle with protruding lower lip. The hind legs are shorter than the front limbs and their backs are curved, which gives them a rather clumsy look. The long hairs make bears impervious to the stings of bees. Bears typically feed during the night. During the day, they shelter in caves, hollow trees and shelters under the rocks. Despite their terrifying impression, they developed a vegetarian way of life, eating meat only occasionally. They may raid sugarcane and crops near villages and climb date palm trees to drink the toddy from the pots. Honeycombs are especially favoured as well as mounts, which they dig out for the larva’s. The strong limbs and their inward turned paws are well-adapted for climbing and digging, and not for swift and agile movements. As befi tting a tropical species, the sloth bear never hibernates. The sloth bear is the most common Indian bear. It lives in the forested tracts of Bangladesh, and from the base of the to the extreme south including Sri Lanka. Nowadays, the species is vulnerable and enjoys protection in the national reserves Chitwan in Nepal and Dumkal and Tatanmahal in Gujarat. sloth bear 311

29.1.2 Related Species Three more bear species live on the Indian subcontinent, all with a very limited distribution. These are the Malayan sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) of the tropical forests of the hills of north-east India, south of the Brahmaputra,1 the brown bear ( arctos) of the subalpine and alpine zones of the north-western and central Himalayas and ,2 and the Himalayan black bear (Selenarctos thibetanus) of the steep forested hills throughout the Himalayas;3 sporadically they descend southwards till Sylhet, Bangladesh, and they have been encountered in the Terai jungles of Nepal and the lower altitudes in the Assam hill ranges. Only the black bear is of some importance with its larger distribution and regular contact with humans. The red panda or cat bear (Ailurus fulgens) resembles a small bear, but does not belong to the same family (Ursidae). It is placed in a family of its own, together with its large nephew, the giant panda of and Myanmar. The red panda resembles a miniature bear with large, upright and pointed ears and a long, thick bushy ringed tail (fi g. 386) as wild cats have, hence its popular name of cat bear. It is found on the subcontinent only in the temperate forests of the Himalayas of Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan. The red panda sleeps during the day as bears do, preferably in trees, curled up with its tail wrapped over its head. They are easily tamed and make charming pets.

1 The sun bear is the smallest bear in India. It is black like the sloth bear and the Himalayan black bear, and also bears a pale patch on the chest. The sun bear is an agile climber with its bowed front legs and inward turned paws. 2 The brown bear is the largest bear in India, and may reach a body length of about 2.5 metres. Its coat is brown with a faint V-shaped pattern on its chest. The brown bear avoids encounters with humans. They may kill sheep, goats and ponies in sum- mer, when these are brought to the high pastures, but they never become man-killers and avoid human settlements. 3 The Himalayan black bear is as large as the sloth bear and has a black coat with a clear whitish V-shaped breast patch as well. Differences are that the black bear’s coat is short, smooth and shiny, and that it has a compact yet elegant built. The Himalayan black bear is the most aggressive of the Indian bears. It is also the most carnivorous and regularly kills sheep, goats and even larger cattle near the villages. Black bears attack people when disturbed; many people are killed or wounded by this bear. Black bears sometimes hibernate in caves, rock shelters, hollow trees or in a den, fi lled with leaves. The majority, however, comes down to lower levels and remains active. The Himalayan black bear is rather common.