Sloth bears are mainly nocturnal and have a keen sense of smell. Their sight and hearing are poor, allowing humans to come very near to them. This has led to numerous cases of fatal bear attacks. Though shy, they will defend themselves when they feel threatened. In the day, they sleep in caves, especially caves by river banks. They do not hibernate, but are inactive for a period of time during the rainy season. Despite living in the tropics, they possess long, shaggy coats.

The sloth bears use their sickle-shaped claws as ‘climbing hooks’ to hoist themselves up trees. They climb not to escape danger, but to get at termite or bee nests. Inserting their long snouts into the nests, they rip them open with their claws. They can voluntarily open and close their nostrils to prevent inhaling dust. They then blow away the earth and suck the termites into their mouths, with much noisy puffings and belchings.

Early explorers observed that sloth bears hung upside down in trees and they were once thought to be related to the three-toed sloth. Widely sought after for their acrobatic skills, sloth bears were captured and trained to perform circus acts. Cubs are poached, often after the killing of the mother bear, for use as street-show ‘dancing bears’. The cubs are coerced into submission and trained through constant infliction of pain, which may involve standing on hot metal plates and beatings with a stick. The practice of using bears as roadside performers has been banned in India since 1972 and has tapered off after 2009 but persists on a smaller scale in Nepal.

To prevent injury to its owner, a captured cub may have its canines pulled and its claws removed. Its sensitive muzzle is pierced and a hot iron rod is inserted, without anaesthesia. A rope is passed through this hole and the bear is taught to respond to every tug of the rope. A ban on dancing bear performances means loss of income for the people that depend on the practice for a living. We can help by supporting conservation projects involved in the rescue of bears from this cruel practice and the creation of alternative livelihoods in the communities affected.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons/ Rhealopez168