Sloth Bear: The Barefoot Bear of Sri Lanka

By Shyamala Ratnayeke and Luxshmanan Nadaraja

Meet one of the most enigmatic animals of the lowland forests.

 

This book provides a wealth of resources and imagery on:

•    the biology, ecology, and behaviour of sloth bears;

•    sloth bear habitat and the rising threats to it from human population growth;

•    the difficult relationship between humans and sloth bears.

 

Written in an engaging and accessible style, this is an essential and inspiring read for both professional ecologists and non-specialist readers interested in the challenges of large carnivore conservation and workable solutions for human-bear coexistence.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sunway University Press
• Release date: Feb 24, 2021
• ISBN: 9789675492518

Book preview

SLOTH BEAR

The Barefoot Bear of Sri Lanka

SLOTH BEAR

The Barefoot Bear of Sri Lanka

Shyamala Ratnayeke, Luxshmanan Nadaraja

Copyright © 2021 by Sunway University Sdn Bhd

Published by Sunway University Press

An imprint of Sunway University Sdn Bhd

No. 5, Jalan Universiti

Bandar Sunway

47500 Selangor Darul Ehsan

Malaysia

press.sunway.edu.my

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, now known or hereafter invented, without permission in writing from the publisher.

eISBN 978-967-5492-51-8

Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia         Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

Shyamala Ratnayeke

Sloth Bear : The Barefoot Bear of Sri Lanka / Shyamala Ratnayeke, Luxshmanan Nadaraja ; Edited by Sarah Loh, Hani Hazman.

Mode of access: Internet

eISBN 978-967-5492-51-8

1. Sloth bear--Sri Lanka.

2. Sloth bear--Behavior--Sri Lanka.

3. Sloth bear--Conservation--Sri Lanka.

4. Electronic books.

I. Luxshmanan Nadaraja. II. Loh, Sarah.

III. Hani Hazman. IV. Title.

599.78095493

Edited by Sarah Loh, Hani Hazman

Designed and typeset by Rachel Goh

All photos in this book are by Luxshmanan Nadaraja with the exception of those that have been kindly provided by Tony Nadaraja, Nuwan Bandara Diyawe,

Palitha Antony, and Arrenga Nadaraja.

WILPATTU

(Photo by Arrenga Nadaraja)

MODERAGALA, YALA

About the Authors

SHYAMALA RATNAYEKE, PhD, conducted the first focused field study on the subspecies of sloth bear found in Sri Lanka. She has been associated with research on Asian bears and other carnivores for more than 20 years. She has served on the IUCN Bear Specialist Group, and on the Council and the Research and Conservation Grants Committee of the International Association for Bear Research and Management for several years. In her current role as associate professor at Sunway University, she teaches courses in biology and conducts research on the Malayan sun bear and other carnivores.

LUXSHMANAN NADARAJA is a leading Sri Lankan wildlife photographer who has published and co-authored a number of books on the nature, archaeology, and culture of Sri Lanka. He is founder and CEO of the studio Wildlight (Pvt) Ltd, Sri Lanka.

Contents

Foreword

Preface

1 Natural History of the Sloth Bear and Cultural Perspectives

2 The Distribution of the Sloth Bear

3 The Ecology of the Sloth Bear

4 Sloth Bears as Surrogates for Carnivore Conservation

5 Conflicts Between Humans and Sloth Bears

6 A Future for the Sloth Bear

Acknowledgements

References

Index

Foreword

As one of the most charismatic families of mammals, bears elicit a wide range of emotions among humans, ranging from pure fascination to reverence to innate fear. The sloth bear perhaps embodies the reasons for these human emotions more than any bear species in the world. Its long, shaggy fur, endearing face, and ambling gait create an almost whimsical appearance—a stark contrast to its sometimes aggressive response in sudden encounters or when provoked, unleashing a surprising combination of speed, strength, and ferocity. Sloth bears can stand their ground against formidable opponents, and many a leopard or tiger probably wished they had never run into this fuzzy ball of terror.

This temperament is also well known among villagers who live in sloth bear range and tragically experience human injuries and even fatalities from sloth bear attacks. As a consequence, many sloth bears are killed in encounters, even when there is no direct threat. Few species pose a greater challenge to wildlife conservation than the sloth bear, particularly in rural regions where subsistence living is the norm. Any progress towards enhancing the long-term viability of Sri Lanka’s sloth bears requires understanding their biology and ecology as well as a thorough knowledge of human attitudes and perceptions towards a species that literally affects their livelihoods.

In this inspiring book, Dr Shyamala Ratnayeke describes her scientific journey to better understand this charismatic bear species of her native Sri Lanka, intending to improve its chances of survival in a human-dominated landscape. This is the journey of a determined and dedicated wildlife researcher, motivated by her early exposure to nature while growing up on a tea plantation and her family’s love of Sri Lanka’s spectacular wildlife, landscapes, and cultural heritage. Following her desire to become an ecologist, Dr Ratnayeke began her journey studying the behaviour of toque macaques at the Smithsonian Primate Project in Sri Lanka for her graduate degree, followed by a PhD project on raccoons at Oak Ridge National Laboratory through the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where our career paths crossed in the early 1990s. At the time, I was studying American black bears in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which was the start of a scientific career focused on large carnivores and culminating with my current research on the Yellowstone grizzly bear population.

In the late 1990s, Dr Ratnayeke and I started collaborating on wildlife projects, a research partnership that continues today. After earning her PhD, she accepted an Assistant Professor position at Spelman College in Atlanta and started laying the groundwork for the sloth bear project with funding from the United States

National Science Foundation. After completion of field studies, she focused on publishing the findings, as her career path led her back to Atlanta to teach at the newly established Georgia Gwinnett College, followed by a faculty position at the University of Dodoma in Tanzania on a United States Fulbright Scholarship, where she studied various small carnivores.

In her current position at Sunway University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, she established a successful research programme on Malayan sun bears, in collaboration with the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre in Sabah. These unique and broad experiences of a seasoned field ecologist are reflected in this book, in which Dr Ratnayeke presents the reader with comprehensive and expert insights from her studies on the ecology of sloth bears and their relationship with humans.

Similar to challenges other female scientists face while conducting pioneering work, leading the sloth bear project required a strong will and skilful navigation of gender barriers in a male-dominated profession. Additionally, at a time when wildlife research in Sri Lanka was not a high priority, numerous administrative and bureaucratic hurdles required creativity, flexibility, and especially patience. Yet with a clear focus and pragmatic determination, Dr Ratnayeke persevered in her pursuits to fully understand the ecology and conservation context of sloth bears in this small island nation.

I have been fortunate to collaborate on studies of bear species across the globe, and the Sri Lankan sloth bear studies will forever hold a special place in my heart. Very little was known at the time about sloth bears, which made Dr Ratnayeke’s studies particularly exciting and important, with discoveries waiting at every turn. Visiting the project in 2002, I marvelled at the unique features of these animals as we captured and radio-collared sloth bears for one of the first wildlife telemetry studies in Sri Lanka. It was fascinating to witness the specialised adaptations of sloth bears that allow them to forage efficiently for termites, features that are radically different from other bear species. The telemetry data revealed important details of sloth bear ecology, including some of the smallest home ranges reported for any bear species. This was a promising indication that even relatively small protected areas may play an important role in the persistence of sloth bear populations. These discoveries are eloquently captured in this book through the eyes of an accomplished field ecologist.

As we travelled the Sri Lankan countryside examining bear habitat and protected areas, I contemplated various conservation perspectives. I remember wondering how, in a small country with high human densities, all 14 native species of Carnivora are still present as well as Asian elephants, five primate species, and a high diversity of smaller mammals. A partial, but important, answer is likely cultural: respect for all forms of animal life and forest habitat was deeply enshrined in Sri Lanka’s ancient moral and even legal codes, and remains a way of life in this culturally rich country. Indeed, despite the sometimes tragic consequences of sloth bear encounters, surveys by Dr Ratnayeke and her team indicated that a majority of rural Sri Lankans living in or near bear habitat believe that sloth bears are an integral part of forests and their legal protection is warranted. This is truly remarkable and presents an opportunity to improve perceptions of sloth bears and build support for their conservation.

The sloth bear has long remained somewhat of an enigma, particularly outside of its native range in the Indian subcontinent. Richly illustrated with images from Sri Lanka’s premier wildlife photographers, this book encapsulates the wealth of information obtained from Dr Ratnayeke’s studies and reveals the fascinating biology and ecology of this species to a broad audience. This book presents not just a scientific journey but also a story of hope for the conservation of this remarkable species.

I hope that the knowledge gained from these studies will help reduce bear attacks among villagers who are dependent on forest resources, that the protected area network currently safeguarding and connecting much of sloth bear range in Sri Lanka will remain intact