Sloth bear  (Melursus ursinus)

Sloth bears are the most widespread bears in the Indian subcontinent and were once so numerous that they were easily speared from horseback. As the human population exploded, the bear's traditional habitat was cleared for timber, agriculture and development. Fragmented populations remain in protected areas. In India, bears are poached for their gall bladders and other parts which are prized in traditional Chinese medicine; it is estimated that parts from up to 1,500 bears a year were sold in Japan in the late 1970s. Sloth bears were the original 'dancing bears' and are were also used in bear baiting; the capture of live bears continues to this day. Where they come into contact with humans, these bears have an aggressive reputation and individuals may be killed in retaliation for attacks or for damage to crops (5).

Sloth bears are protected under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, and although they do not receive legal protection in Nepal, the level of hunting appears to be low (5). International trade is prohibited by their listing on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) (3). Sloth bear populations have benefited where they occur within reserves established to protect other more high profile species, such as tigers and elephants; they occur within Ranthambore National Park in India and the Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal. The conservation of these unique bears may need to be directly managed however, if their last strongholds are to persist (5).