Sri Lankan sloth bear


The Sri Lankan sloth bear is a subspecies of the sloth bear which is found mainly in lowland dry forests in the island of Sri Lanka.

Ecology

Being omnivorous, it feeds on nuts, berries, and roots, as well as carrion and meat. One of its main staples is insects, which it removes from rotting stumps and trees with its long, hairless snout. Otherwise, it rarely kills animals. The sloth bear is sympatric with the leopard.

Conservation status

The Sri Lankan sloth bear is highly threatened, with a population less than 1000 in many isolated populations with population decrease. Destruction of dry-zone natural forest is its main threat, because unlike other large Sri Lankan animals, the Sri Lankan sloth bear is highly dependent on natural forests for its food source.

Cultural significance

In its native habitat of Sri Lanka, this bear is called the walaha in Sinhalese and karadi in Tamil. Both terms simply translate to "bear" in English.