In Jambavan’s land: Sloth bears mostly coexist peacefully with humans in Karnataka; but conflict is not non-existent

Karnataka, the legendary home of Jambavan, the bear king of the Hindu epic Ramayana, is also home to one of India’s largest sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) populations. Bears mostly coexist peacefully with humans in the state. But human-sloth bear conflict is never far away, according to a survey by the state forest department.

The survey was conducted in Karnataka’s Western Ghats, spanning 38,540 square kilometres during September 2021. Contrary to expectations, sloth bears exhibited a surprisingly harmonious coexistence with humans. Cultural acceptance in regions with high human densities favoured their presence, challenging the notion of human-wildlife conflict.

Yet, Karnataka has witnessed instances of human-sloth bear confrontations, raising concerns for both communities and wildlife enthusiasts.

This is especially important, given the fact that sloth bears occupy a significant 67 per cent of potential habitat in India.

The ursids are not confined to protected areas but also extend into multi-use forests. Within the Western Ghats, nearly 61 per cent (roughly 15,000 sq km) of the forested landscape played host to these elusive creatures, with a preference for drier forests and rough terrains. Worryingly, less than 9,000 sq km of this area is designated as wildlife reserves.

“Though we have not taken up a survey in recent years, I can say that their numbers are not just stable but also showing a marginal and steady increase, and their habitat has also expanded; they are showing up in almost all terrains in Karnataka apart from the conventional scrubby and dry deciduous forest areas,” Subhash Malkhed, the principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) of Karnataka told this reporter.

A long relationship

For over 400 years, the sloth bear has been a tragic target of human exploitation. The nomadic tribe known as the Kalandars started ‘dancing’ sloth bears for emperors during the Mughal era. As kingdoms faded away, the ‘dancing’ bear trade transformed into cheap roadside entertainment, where villagers and tourists paid to watch bears jump in agony.

Mother bears were ruthlessly killed, and their cubs were taken for perpetuating this brutal practice. Through underground trading, as many as 200 cubs annually ended up in the hands of the Kalandars.

In 1996, research indicated more than 1200 ‘dancing’ bears scattered throughout India. Wildlife charity Wildlife SOS embarked on a mission to rescue and rehabilitate these bears, with help from the government and others. Today, Bannerughatta National Park in Karnataka has the most active bear protection programme under the Wildlife SOS initiative.

“Sloth bears have also been demonised in many places. Rural folk say that during the collection of Mahua (A kind of wildflower that blooms only in the night), villagers used to send the elderly out in the night to collect Mahua flowers, knowing well that bears are on the prowl. This way, they disposed of their elderly and their old age problems and also collected compensation from the government. But those were archaic times; things have changed, and human-sloth bear conflicts will continue for different reasons,” former principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) BK Singh, who has travelled to bear habitats including Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, told this reporter.   

Human-sloth bear confrontations in Karnataka often stem from habitat encroachment and agricultural activities, leading to accidental conflicts.

“Human-sloth bear conflict is happening everywhere in bear country. Bear habitats have been fragmented due to new areas coming under farming and allied activities. This is why human-sloth bear conflicts are common,” Malkhed said.

India has four sloth bear sanctuaries that are home to over 620 of these animals. Among them is the Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary in Karnataka. Asia’s first sloth bear sanctuary is in the Ballari district of the state, spanning 82.72 sq km.

Originally the Bilikallu Reserve Forest, the government declared it as Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary in 1994.

Scattered around the sanctuary in the Deccan Plateau are patches of dry deciduous scrub forest and thorn forest, with a preponderance of boulders and rocks featuring cave formations. This unique landscape provides sloth bears shelter in the extremely hot weather of the region.

Sloth bear tourism has also become popular in recent years. But sloth bear tourism spots in the wild have also been cited as a reason for disturbance in the bears’ habitat.

One example is the ‘Sweet Lick’ areas started by the forest department in Daroji to give tourists a glimpse of the bears. Department staff would smear honey around rocks, attracting bears to lick it, making slurping sounds audible from 100 metres away.

After licking off the honey, the bears would crawl away, drink water from a nearby watering hole, scratch against nearby trees, and return to their day-to-day activities.

This is not anymore in practice, as excessive, unnatural feeding used to affect health, says the forest officials. 

The aforementioned survey stated that the key to mitigating human-sloth bear conflicts lies in community engagement and awareness programmes. It advocated for measures like enhancing habitat connectivity, minimising human-wildlife interaction zones, and implementing responsible waste management practices.

“Due to the Forest Department’s extraordinary efforts, there is widespread awareness among villagers about the presence of sloth bears in their settlements, and they should be careful to protect themselves from bear attacks,” Malkhed said.

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