Bears

Sloth Bear : Melursus ursinus

This species was fairly common in India and Sri Lanka until as recently as 20 years ago. Now they are harder to find. Sloth bears have a shaggy black coat, especially over the shoulders. Brown and grey hairs are found on the coat. The length of Sloth bear is 1.50 to 1.90 mts. & it weighs around 55 to 140 kg. These bears have long snouts. The molars are broad and flat, representing a trend away from carnivore. The body structure of M. ursinus is awkward with huge feet and enormous claws. They have extremely large tongues, a mobile snout, and they can voluntarily open and close their nostrils, all of which prove helpful with their diets. Sloth bears are mainly nocturnal. Their sense of smell is well developed but their sight and hearing are poor. They are excellent climbers.

Studies in India found sloth bears to mate mostly in June. Most births occur between September to January. Pregnancy lasts between 6-7 months. One to two offspring are usually born, rarely three, but it has been known to occur. Females usually search for a cave or a ground shelter in which to give birth. Sloth bears are blind for about 3 weeks. Following a period of about 4-5 weeks the young leave the den. The cubs stay with their mother until they reach adulthood at about 2-3 years of age. Sloth bears are highly insectivorous, but their diet includes leaves, honey, flowers, and fruits. Sloth bear is found throughout India, Sri Lanka, and further north into Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan.

Black Bear : Selenarctos thibetanus

The Asiatic or Tibetan black bear, is in many ways very similar to its cousin, the American black bear. The black bear is approximately 4 to 7 feet from nose to tail, and 2 to 3 feet high at the withers. It has small eyes, rounded ears, a long snout, a large body, a short tail, and shaggy hair. It differs from grizzly bears in being smaller with a smaller shoulder hump, a furred rear instep, a less concave facial profile, smaller claws that are more tightly curved, and longer, smoother, and more tapered ears . Body fur is usually black or brown & weighs between 125 and 500 pounds, depending upon age, season, and food. Very well fed bears can be heavier.
These bear have highly developed senses. Their hearing exceeds human frequency ranges and probably twice the sensitivity. Bears see in color and have good vision close up & their olfactory senses (ability to smell) is extremely evolved. The limits are, however, untested. Their nasal mucosal area is about 100 times larger than in humans. Black bears like large forests with many different kinds of fruits and nuts. Small sunny openings within the forest provide many kinds of food for the bears. Lowlands and wetlands provide tender and juicy vegetation.
Their mating Season is usually from late May to early July. The number of cubs in a litter is usually 2. At the time of birth, a cub weighs around 1/2 to 1 pound. Cubs usually stay with their mother for 17 months. In India Asiatic black bears are found in the Himalayan foothills . They are generally found below 3,750 meters in elevation.

Brown Bear : Ursus arctos

One of the largest and most widely distributed bear species, brown bears weigh between 300 and 860 pounds and can be up to 9'6" in total body length. They are usually dark brown in color but can vary from a light cream color to almost black. If the tips of the guard hairs are white, they give the bear a grizzled appearance. Brown bears are omnivorous, eating a mixed diet of grasses, fruits, bulbs and roots, insects, fish and small animals. Brown bears can be seen in close proximity in areas of extremely abundant food sources, such as dumps sites, berry patches and salmon spawning areas. In a few areas they are known to be predators. Brown bears are distinguished by the characteristic muscle hump over the shoulders, they have a "dished" profile and longer claws on their front paws than on their rear paws.

Brown bears are solitary animals except for females with cubs. They are territorial with males having larger territories overlapping the smaller territories of several females. Female bears reach sexual maturity around four and a half years of age. Mating will occur between May and July, with a pair coming together for one or two weeks and mating several times. Cubs are born between January and March. A female can have up to four cubs which will stay with her for up to two and a half years.

Brown bears inhabit dense forests, tundra and lower alpine mountain regions. In India, Asiatic brown bears are found in the Himalayan foothills