Animal Facts - Sloth Bear

Sloth Bear Habits and Biology

People say that Sloth Bears seem sluggish, or sleepy.

They are shy and intelligent and do everything slowly to conserve (save) energy and keep cool in the tropical heat. They walk on the ground slowly, climb trees slowly, and even blink slowly.

They are mostly nocturnal, meaning they feed and travel at night and sleep during the day.

But females with cubs will look for food during the day, to keep out of the way of predators hunting at night.

People have seen Sloth Bears sucking their front paws while they sleep.

The bears can’t see or hear well, but their sense of smell is excellent so they sniff out food and don’t give up when they find food they like.

To get at underground insect colonies they will move rocks and logs and dig down as far as 1.52 metres (5 feet). And they will keep eating a honeycomb with bees stinging them.

Because where they live is warm and they can find food all year round, Sloth Bears don’t hibernate like bears living in cold climates.

In the monsoon season, Sloth Bears may shelter in caves, taking naps and waiting for the rain to stop.

Sloth Bear Habits and Bilogy Part 2 >>