The sloth bear: one of India’s most unusual and misunderstood mammals.
I photographed this one in Tadoba in February 2026. Found mainly across the Indian subcontinent, sloth bears specialise in ants and termites, using their long claws and mobile lips to tear open nests and vacuum up their prey. They also feed on fruits, flowers and honey.
Mostly solitary, they often share the same forests as tigers. Encounters between the two can be tense. A sloth bear will defend itself aggressively if it feels threatened, and tigers generally give an adult bear its due space.
But life alongside people can be far more dangerous. As forests shrink and become fragmented, bears increasingly enter farms and villages looking for food, leading to conflict. Most attacks are defensive, usually when a bear is surprised at close range.
Sloth bears also play an important role in the forest, controlling insect populations and dispersing seeds as they feed.
A fascinating animal, and one that deserves far more understanding and protection.
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