The history of the Sloth bear leads back to the eighteenth century when the first pelts of this bear arrived in Europe. These bears were shot by big game hunters in India, and it was said that they had turtleneck snouts. These animals were also reported to hang upside down from branches for long hours on end. People that saw these bears said that they cried like babies.

A doctor by the name of George Shaw of the British Museum was so impressed by the details of this bear that he decided to study it to find out more information about it. At first this bear had been classified with sloths because of its long sickle shaped claws. But in 1819, when a live specimen reached Paris, it was realized that this animal wasn't a sloth but a true bear. That was when the name "bear sloth" was quickly changed to "sloth bear".

This bear has a long, shaggy, unkempt, black coat, with a white Y marking on its chest. Its hair is much longer than that of any other bear. It has most of its hair around the neck and the shoulders. Underneath the shaggy hair it has no hair, to keep it cool.

A Sloth bear has a muzzle with extremely protrusive lips and nostrils. It is much like an anteater. It likes to eat termites. Its hairless nose helps it suck termites in. This is their main source of food.

When this bear is just walking around it may be three feet long, but when

standing it's six feet tall. The feet consist of white, blunt, curved claws up to three inches long. The tail is much longer than any other bear's. Male Sloth bears weigh about 300 pounds, and females weigh less.

These bears are found on the islands of Sri Lanka and on the Indian subcontinent, around the north part of the Himalayas, and east of Assam. Some people have seen them in a Nepal park called Chitwan National Park.

These bears are active all the time. They walk very slowly, but they can gallop as fast as a walking person.

When this bear meets danger it does not hide. It can be very dangerous to be around when it is mad.

These bears like the company of other Sloth bears. They communicate with facial expressions, strange roars, howls, squeals, yelps, huffs, rattles and gurgles. When mating they are very noisy. When they sleep they are also noisy. Male bears mark trees when they are ready to mate.

Sloth Bears do not sleep at all during the winter, like other bears. These bears are not considered game animals. They are only killed if they get into someone's crops and eat their produce. The real danger to this bear is the destruction by humans of their habitat.

The Sloth bear is estimated to have a population ranging from 7,000 to 10,000, but it is also disappearing very fast. In the Bengal Tiger Reserve this bear is increasing, however.

by LaVerne J. Manumik