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Sloth Bear
Melursus ursinus
Silhouette: Tracy A. Heath · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderCarnivora (Carnivorans)
- FamilyUrsidae (Bears)
- GenusMelursus (Sloth Bears)
- SpeciesMelursus ursinus (Sloth Bear)
In 3 days >90%
76 Verified sightings at Wilpattu National Park From 2019 to 2026
291 In all 8 parks
July Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted
About the Sloth Bear
The sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), also known as the Indian bear, is a myrmecophagous bear species native to the Indian subcontinent. It feeds on fruits, ants and termites. It is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, mainly because of habitat loss and degradation. It is the only species in the genus Melursus.
It has also been called "labiated bear" because of its long lower lip and palate used for sucking up insects. It has long, shaggy fur, a mane around the face, and long, sickle-shaped claws. It is lankier than brown and Asian black bears.
It shares features of insectivorous mammals and evolved during the Pleistocene from the ancestral ursine bear through divergent evolution. Sloth bears breed during spring and early summer and give birth near the beginning of winter. When their territories are encroached upon by humans, they sometimes attack them. Historically, humans have drastically reduced these bears' habitat and diminished their population by hunting them for food and products such as their bacula and claws. Sloth bears have been tamed and used as performing animals and as pets.
George Shaw in 1791 named the species Bradypus ursinus. In 1793, Meyer named... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Sloth Bear in Wilpattu National Park
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wilpattu National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 2 | Yala National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 3 | Chitwan National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 4 | Ranthambore National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 5 | Kanha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Satpura National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Bandhavgarh National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 8 | Bandipur National Park | 🇮🇳 India |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
Closest Relatives at Wilpattu National Park
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Sloth Bear in Wilpattu National Park?
Very likely
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Sloth Bear sighting in Wilpattu National Park on a given day, based on 76 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 19 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Sloth Bear in Wilpattu National Park?
January, April–July and September
In those months about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Sloth Bear in Wilpattu National Park on a given day, against about 50% in February, the lowest month.
What time of day is best to see a Sloth Bear?
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Sloth Bear sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Is Wilpattu National Park the best place to see a Sloth Bear?
Yes
Of the 8 parks where we can rate Sloth Bear sightings, Wilpattu National Park has the highest daily chance: about 80%. Next come Yala National Park (Sri Lanka, about 50%) and Chitwan National Park (Nepal, about 50%). All parks ranked.
Which relatives of the Sloth Bear live in Wilpattu National Park?
Same order: Carnivora
The closest relatives of the Sloth Bear that you can see in Wilpattu National Park (order Carnivora, Carnivorans) are Leopard (about 80%), Ruddy Mongoose (about 80%) and Asian Jackal (about 70%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
Where does the Sloth Bear sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Sloth Bear is recorded against all the mammals logged in Wilpattu National Park (76 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
