Sloth Bear Falls Into Well

A sloth bear drowned after falling into a well on private property in the area of Vellanad.
The sloth bear, which is listed on Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, was darted at 9 a.m. It, however, slipped through the net that had been lowered as a precaution, plunged into the water, and drowned.

A sloth bear that fell into a well on private property at Vellanad in the district drowned on Thursday morning.
The sloth bear, protected under Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, had been darted around 9 a.m. However, it slipped from the net that had been lowered as a safety measure, fell into the water and drowned.
It was around 1.30 a.m. on Thursday that the Forest department received information that the bear had fallen into the well, presumably while trying to catch fowl.
It was felt that leaving the animal in the well for long would endanger its life.
However, bringing it out without darting was risky since the area was inhabited and more than 10 km from the forest.
As a last resort, it was decided to dart the bear, the DFO said.
However, the bear that had been trying to clamber the walls of the well to come out slipped into the water when the net underneath it tilted, the DFO said.
As the dart started taking effect, the animal went inside the deep water.
Minister for Forest A.K. Saseendran has announced a probe into the incident.
The People for Animals has decided to move to court against the death of the bear.

The sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), often known as the Indian bear, is a myrmecophagous bear species found in India.
It consumes fruits, ants, and termites.
The IUCN Red List classifies it as vulnerable, owing primarily to habitat loss and degradation. Melursus is the only species in the genus.
It’s also known as a “labiated bear” because of its lengthy bottom lip and palate, which it uses to suck up insects.
It has long, shaggy fur, a mane around its face, and sickle-shaped claws. It is shorter than brown bears and Asian black bears.
It has characteristics of insectivorous animals and diverged from the original brown bear during the Pleistocene.

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