Sloth Bear
(Melursus ursinus)
Habitat
Varies seasonally due to weather and climate; includes forests, grasslands, thorny
woodlands and wet tropical regions further south
Length
and Shoulder Height
Adult male: up to 6.25 feet (1.9 m) long, and up to 36 inches (92 cm) tall; females
and males do not differ greatly in height or length
Weight
Adult male: 200-320 pounds (91-145 kg)
Adult female:
121-210 pounds (55-95kg)
Life
Span
Life span in the wild is unknown; up to 40 years in captivity
Diet
In the wild: Sloth bears are omnivorous, but their
diet depends greatly on the local habitat and season. Diet can consist
of termites or other insects, grubs, raiding of cultivated crops, grass,
honey, eggs, carrion, fruits, berries and flowers.
At
the zoo: Omnivore chow, insects, honey, browse, eggs, a
wide variety of fruits and vegetables.
Reproduction
Sloth bears reach sexual maturity at about 3 to 4 years of age. Breeding
season occurs at most any time in Sri Lanka, while breeding season
is April-June in India. When mating, sloth bears are loud, and
often engage in hugging or mock fighting. Gestation is 180-210
days in captivity. Like some bears, sloth bears can delay implantation
of the fertilized embryo if the food supply is scarce. One to three
cubs are born in the dry season, usually in December or early January.
Birth occurs in a den, cave, or a shelter beneath boulders. Average
birth weight is 10.5-17.5 ounces (300-500 g).
Life Cycle
Although newborn cubs have strong toes and forelegs, they are extremely tiny
and blind at birth. Their eyes open in about three weeks, and they can
walk at four weeks. Rapid growth occurs, mostly in the legs. Young receive
nourishment from their protein-rich mother's milk for up to three
years, but start to sample other foods when 2 to 3 months old. For cubs,
extensive knowledge of their surroundings is critical to their survival,
and the mother is considered a patient and sensitive teacher. Sloth bear
cubs have a good chance of survival, as male sloth bears rarely display
the predatory instincts toward cubs observed in other bear species. Cubs
stay with their mother until they are independent and can care for themselves,
at 2 or more years of age. Hence, females have breeding intervals of two
or three years.
Sloth or Bear?
These animals were initially classified as bear sloths, due to their slow gait
and ability to climb trees. Not until 1810 did the classification change;
for sake of simplicity, the name was switched to sloth bear.
Sloth bears have a long,
rough and shaggy coat of thick, reddish-brown to black fur. Similar
to other species of Asian bears, they have a white or yellow mark
on their chest shaped like a U, V or Y. There is little hair on their
underbelly. Some sloth bears also have a white muzzle and white paw
tips. Sloth bears prefer to forage at night, in a solitary fashion,
when temperatures are cooler. However, females with cubs forage during
the day, so as not to compete with other bears or nocturnal predators
for resources.
Huff and Puff!
Perhaps another reason that sloth bears were thought to be sloths was their
massive consumption of insects, especially termites. Because termite and
ant colonies are an abundant and consistent source of food for sloth bears,
they are the only bear specifically adapted for feeding on insects. Sloth
bears dig out insect mounds with their sharp, 3-inch (7.6 cm) long claws.
Then, they blow away the dirt and debris with their long, mobile lips.
Finally, with a huge breath, the sloth bear sucks out the termites. Since
sloth bears lack their two front incisors and have a hollowed palate, they
can quickly remove the insects like a high-powered vacuum. Sloth bears
also love honey, and they will easily climb up to 26 feet (8 m) into the
trees or hang from branches to raid honeycombs.
Sloth
bears have an excellent sense of smell, good vision and satisfactory
hearing. Reliance on their sense of smell, rather than sight or hearing,
can lead to confrontation between humans and sloth bears. Often,
the shy sloth bear’s
reaction to being startled is to attack savagely with a charge.
Location
at the Zoo
Woodland
Park Zoo’s
sloth bears can be found along the Trail of Adaptations at the bear
grotto facing the North Meadow, next to the Malayan sun bears. Their
exhibits provide a multilevel, naturalistic setting that contains
major components of their normal habitat. Other species of bear at
Woodland Park Zoo include brown bears in the Northern Trail exhibit.
Conservation
Connection
Sloth bears are an endangered
species. Less than 10,000 remain in the wild. Their survival is
challenged by fragmented populations, competition with other animals
(particularly humans) for space and food, deforestation, and the
bear parts trade for use in traditional Asian medicines. Although
protection has improved for sloth bears, some Asian countries still
allow hunting of sloth bears and unrestricted trade of bear parts.
Even in the USA, some states allow the sale of bear parts taken through
hunting. For all bears, their long-term survival requires large,
remote and protected areas of habitat, together with the elimination
of the bear parts trade. The Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) has a Species Survival Plan (SSP) for the sloth bear. The SSP is
developing an in situ conservation program for the sloth bear,
as well as sponsoring participation in bear research programs. Woodland
Park Zoo will participate in SSP captive breeding programs and research.
How You Can Help!
The effort to save endangered species requires cooperation and support at the
international, national, regional and individual levels. You can help in
this cause. Join and become active in Woodland Park Zoo or other conservation
organizations of your choice. Do not buy products made from wild-caught
animal parts. Contact your elected representatives and express your views
about conservation of endangered species.
Contact Woodland Park
Zoo at webkeeper@zoo.org to find out ways you can support
conservation programs at the zoo. Learn other ways you can help conserve
wildlife and the habitats they require for survival by visiting our How You Can Help page.
Sources and Suggested
Reading
Domico, Terry. 1988. Bears of the World. Facts on File, New York, NY.
189 p.
Stirling, I., ed. 1993. Bears:
Majestic Creatures of the Wild. Rodale Press, Emmaus, PA. 240
p.
For Kids!
Gilka, H., & Bale, A. 1993. Bears. Ticknor & Fields,
New York, NY. 30 p.
Lynch, W. 1995. Bears,
Bears, Bears. Firefly Books, Willowdale, Ontario, Canada. 63
p.