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2 Sloth Bears rescued from Jharkhand

  • Posted By
    10Pointer
  • Categories
    Environment
  • Published
    3rd May, 2022

Context

Two full-grown sloth bears were recently rescued by forest officials from a village in Jharkhand following the intervention of politician-cum-animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi.

Important facts about the species 

  • The sloth bear is small and usually black, with a long shaggy coat, especially over the shoulders. 
  • Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus) is a bear species native to the Indian subcontinent.
  • Divided into two subspecies, Melursus ursinus ursinus and Melursus ursinus inornatus, the range of the Sloth Bear extends across India, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. 
  • They are locally extinct in Bangladesh. 
  • The M.u inornatus is found only in Sri Lanka, where it occupies the northern and eastern parts of the island. 
  • Sloth Bears are mainly lowland species and inhabit a range of habitats such as grasslands, scrublands, dry and moist tropical forests.
  • Diet: Sloth Bears are myrmecophagous, which means that they eat ants and termites. They also feed on fruits and consume honey from honeycombs.

Protection

  • WPA Act, 1972: Sloth bears are protected under Schedule-1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. 
    • This Schedule covers endangered species. 
    • Schedule-1 and part 2 of Schedule 2 provide absolute protection- offences under these are prescribed the highest penalties.
  • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
  • CITES listing: Appendix I

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