Sloth bears are a medium-sized bear. Females typically weight between 55 and 105 kg, and the larger males weight between 80 and 145 kg. Sloth Bears have completely black fur, except for a pale white Y- or V-shaped mark on the chest. They are 60–92 cm at the shoulder, and have a body length of 1.4–1.9 m
Sloth Bears feed on termites, bees and ants, and it has a long lower lip that helps it to suck up insects. Sloth Bears bear use their long powerful claws to rip open termite mounds and other insect colonies or nests before feeding on the disturbed insects. Apparently they are also very fond of honey, and at times can become a nuisance as they forage for sweet food wastes discarded by humans!
I take it that this individual is a female as it (she?) was accompanied by young bears. Due to the density of the forest they were in I was unable to get decent pictures of the young bears, and to be honest they looked like indistinct fluffy black lumps when I glimpsed them through binoculars!
I saw these animals near the end of the Five Tigers day in Ranthambore National Park - which ended an utterly remarkable day of wildlife watching on an even higher note.
Hope everyone is well in these strange and worrying times. SM
Amazing photos, Stewart.
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