Sloth bear

About Sloth bear: 

• Sloth bears are one of the eight bear species found across the world.
• They are myrmecophagous, meaning, they find bugs and termites to be their most sought after meal.
• Habitat: They live in a variety of dry and moist forests and in some tall grasslands, where boulders, scattered shrubs and trees provide shelter.
• Distribution: They mainly inhabit the region of India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and presumably Bhutan.
• Appearance: They have long, shaggy dark brown or black fur and curved claws, which are the longest out of any of the bear species.
• These bears are mostly nocturnal, foraging for food at night and resting in secluded locations
• Sloth Bear Sanctuaries in India: Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary (Karnataka)
  , Jessore Sloth Bear Sanctuary (Gujarat).
• Conservation Status
  • IUCN: Vulnerable
  • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule 1
  • CITES: Appendix I

Q1:What is CITES ?

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international agreement between governments to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species.

Source: How can people across the Indian Subcontinent prevent fatal encounters with sloth bears? Learn from species’ behaviour towards tigers, advise scientists

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