Did someone say Sloth Bear?

Wilpattu National Park

Lesser-known facts

There was a point in time, when scientists thought to believe that these Sloth Bears were ‘bear-like sloths’ due to their similar characteristics to sloths such as hanging from branches, having a slow wandering manner in which they walk and also to the way these Sloth Bears carried their babies on their back!

Anatomically, these animals have large tongues, a mobile snout and can voluntarily open and close their nostrils - all of which proves to be very helpful with their diets.

Where to find them 

Sloth Bears can be often found in several of Sri Lanka’s National Parks which have an undisturbed forest growth,especially in the Yala and Wilpattu jungles. These bears are found exclusively in the Indian subcontinent, their lineage can be tracked to having evolved from Eurasian Brown Bears over several millennia. 

Fun facts

The Sloth Bears have a black shaggy coat - especially over their shoulders. You can also find brown and gray hairs on their coat, which gives off an appearance of being cinnamon colored on some bears.