Sloth bears (Melursus ursinus) rely on dens for reproduction, cub-rearing and shelter. Yet their denning ecology remains poorly studied, particularly in Gujarat – India. This new project by the WCB Research Lab and funded by Bears in Mind since 2025, aims to investigate sloth bear den site selection in northern Gujarat, encompassing both protected areas Jessore and Balaram-Ambaji Wildlife Sanctuaries (WLS) and human-disturbed forests (Polo Forest and surrounding areas of sanctuaries).
By examining habitat characteristics, terrain features, and human disturbances, this study will identify key factors influencing den selection. Data collection will include field surveys, sign identification and camera trapping to confirm den usage. Environmental parameters such as slope, aspect, vegetation type, and forest cover will be recorded, along with spatial proximity to water sources, roads, and settlements. Mapping and statistical analyses, including Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMM), will be used to evaluate habitat suitability.
The findings will contribute to conservation planning by identifying critical denning habitats and assessing risks posed by human activities. This research will provide science-based recommendations for habitat management and conflict mitigation, supporting long-term conservation efforts for sloth bears in Gujarat.
The sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) inhabits the lowland tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia, where its secretive nature and difficult terrain hinder population monitoring. Despite recent research, their conservation status remains uncertain due to the lack of systematic population monitoring efforts. Sun bears are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, and their populations are increasingly fragmented due to deforestation and poaching.
Traditional monitoring methods like camera trapping and noninvasive genetic sampling face limitations in tropical environments. However, the team at Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) implemented innovative techniques such as invertebrate-derived DNA (iDNA) sampling using leeches and dung beetles in our previous research at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre demonstrating the successful recovery of sun bear DNA and identification of individuals via these invertebrates, rendering it useful for monitoring sun bear populations in wild. Encouraged by these results, researchers aim to expand this approach through a field trial at Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Malaysia, combining iDNA with other methods like camera trapping, and sign surveys to improve population estimates. Integrating spatial capture-recapture (SCR) with occupancy estimates will enhance the precision of population assessments, enabling more robust estimates to track sun bear population trajectories and conservation planning.
Bears in Mind funds this research project since 2025.
All species of bears are threatened by illegal trade for their parts, used as trophies, for consumption and for use in traditional medicines. The experts at Monitor Conservation Research Society (Monitor) have carried out research and enforcement support to counter the illegal trade in bears, especially, but not limited to, Asia, over the past few decades. One of the greatest obstacles in countering the illegal international trade in bear parts and derivatives is the lack of effective use of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). With 185 members, CITES is the world’s leading convention in place to regulate and control the international trade in wildlife – including all eight species of bears. Conf. 10.8 (Rev. CoP14) in 2007, noted that
“the continued illegal trade in parts and derivatives of bear species undermines the effectiveness of the Convention and that if CITES Parties and States not-party do not take action to eliminate such trade, poaching may cause declines of wild bears that could lead to the extirpation of certain populations or even species”
and recognised that
“long-term solutions for the protection and conservation of bears require the adoption of substantive and measurable actions.” It further urged parties to carry out a number of actions and recommended that Parties “review and strengthen measures, where necessary, to enforce the provisions of the Convention relating to specimens of species included in Appendices I and II, where bear parts and derivatives are concerned and further that Parties and States not-party, as a matter of urgency, address the issue of illegal trade in bear parts and derivatives.”
Monitor has found that at least some Parties to the Convention involved in illegal and/or unsustainable trade in bear parts and derivatives have not taken significant actions to address this problem or to follow up on the recommendations of Conf. 10.8 (Rev. CoP14). There has been no systematic review of the actions taken by Parties on this matter and therefore no accountability. The team has secured funds from Bears in Mind to allow them, working with partners, to investigate this issue and to carry out a review of actions prior to the coming Conference of the Parties of CITES, which will be held in Uzbekistan in November 2025.
We believe that the effective implementation of Conf. 10.8 (Rev. CoP14), and the continued monitoring of progress on this issue is absolutely essential to making CITES an effective tool for bear conservation and that the lack of implementation not only undermines the Convention but also undermines efforts and opportunities to ensure international illegal and unsustainable trade is not a threat the conservation of bears.
The Sloth bear population is declining across their distribution range due to habitat degradation, habitat loss, and facing conflicts with humans. These threats are expected to accelerate with increasing urbanization and demand for natural resources. Over the past decade, human interference in their habitats has led to a rise in Human-Sloth bear conflict in India.
Rajasthan, the largest state in India, has limited scientific data on Sloth bears. Existing studies focus mainly on distribution, diet within a single protected area, and local perceptions of the species. These studies highlight the urgent need for further research due to increasing poaching and habitat degradation. This study, supported by Bears in Mind since 2024, aims to investigate occupancy, genetic variability, and population structure across southern Rajasthan in the known distribution range of Sloth bear with an aim to identify local, landscape and genetic data and also contribute to the IUCN Bear Specialist Group’s project on Asian bears range mapping.
Across the Western Himalayas, Himalayan Brown Bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus) and Himalayan Black Bears (Ursus thibetanus), live in proximity with people. These people, many of whom are from various indigenous and tribal groups, are primarily either transhumant pastoralist (eg. the Bakerwals and Gaddis) or agriculturalist (primarily horticulturalists cultivating fruit like apples). This proximity of bears with people is increasingly being augmented by climate change which is altering cropping patterns and habitat loss. This is leading to increased negative human-bear interactions which include, but aren’t limited to, increased raiding of crops by bears and depredation of livestock. Most of which is met with retaliatory killing of bears. If the financial impacts of livelihood loss by bears isn’t adequately mitigated, the illegal retaliatory killing of bears can also lead to engagement in illegal trade of bear parts.
Besides this, direct poaching of bears for their gall bladder is a huge conservation challenge, but often under the shadow of welfare and bear-human conflict issues. All of these conservation threats to bears are spatially explicit, hence in collaboration with Dr. Hinsley, the team aims to identify spatially-explicit priorities for bear conservation across the Western Indian Himalayas.
Based on this baseline information, the team also aims to operationalize a local champions network in one region to actively work towards human-bear conservation interventions to ensure bear conservation while protecting people’s livelihoods.
Bears in Mind supports the project since 2024.
Only about 17% of the estimated 17,000 km2 of Sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) habitat in Nepal is effectively protected. The unprotected Sloth bear populations are largely confined to the forests of the Churia hills. In the eastern part of the Churia range lies the Trijuga forest which was once a stronghold for Sloth bears, but now faces unprecedented threats.
The team of WILD CARE (Wildlife Conservation and Research Endeavour Nepal) has gained extensive knowledge over the past three years in this area, and it revealed high levels of human disturbance, resulting in low bear density, patchy distribution, and intense conflicts, pushing bears to the brink of local extinction. Having obtained baseline data, the challenge now is improving locals’ awareness, perceptions and ability to coexist harmoniously with sloth bears and foster support for conservation.
This project, supported by Bears in Mind since 2024, is developed to address this challenge through (i) extensive awareness campaigns in local communities and schools, (ii) sensitization of local-level decision makers to include the needs of Sloth bears in forest use/management guidelines, and (iii) empowerment of community forest members on Sloth bear monitoring. By bridging the gap between scientific research and community engagement, the project offers hope for the long-term survival of Sloth bears in this critical habitat.
The Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus) is widely distributed in countries such as Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan. In Pakistan, researchers have recorded brown bear populations in 15 localities, with only the Deosai plateau and the Khujarab National park having an increasing population due to conservation efforts. However, other populations are thought to be declining. The Himalayan black bear (Ursus thibetanus) on the other hand, has a restricted distribution in the Himalayan range from Bhutan through Kashmir, Sikkim to Pakistan. In the past, it was present in all mountain areas of northern Pakistan but has faced a sharp decline in the last 40-50 years. There is limited information available about the species.
The study, carried out by a PhD student at the Malakand University and funded by Bears in Mind since 2024, aims to investigate the human-bear interactions, habitat preferences, occupancy patterns, density patterns of bears in the area, population structure, inbreeding, and migration patterns of the bears using genomics. The information generated from this study will be valuable for the conservation of these species and the development of effective management strategies to mitigate human-bear conflicts and conserve the species in their natural habitats.
Sloth bears (Melursus ursinus) are one of the umbrella species that play an important role for the ecosystem, and is now considered as Vulnerable as per IUCN. The major reason for the continuous decline in its population is habitat degradation and fragmentation due to human settlements and anthropogenic pressures. This has resulted in loss of genetic exchange and hence functional connectivity. If it continues at the same rate, there will only be groups of isolated populations of Sloth bears with very low genetic diversity and high risk of inbreeding depression, ultimately resulting in extinction.
An earlier study by Thatte et al. (2019) highlighted the negative impact of human settlements and landscape features on Sloth bear functional connectivity. Another study by Dutta et al. (2015) also highlighted the importance of corridors for Sloth bears in Satpura-Maikal Landscape. In this project, the team wishes to investigate genetic diversity, gene flow and population structure in the western part of Maharashtra that will include three protected areas; Melghat Tiger Reserve, Yawal Wildlife Sanctuary and Gautala Wildlife Sanctuary. There has been information to connect these areas through corridors based on movement of tigers, but none of the studies have been carried out to identify the functional connectivity in this region.
This study, co-funded by Bears in Mind and the IBA since 2024, investigates the effect of landscape features on functional connectivity among Sloth bear populations in the Melghat landscape, India.
The Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) is one of the iconic species in Pakistan, which occupies mountainous ecosystem of the Hindu Raj Mountain Range (HMR) and extirpated from the most of its historic range in Pakistan. The species population is continuously declining and the known distribution range of these bears is shrinking due to habitat loss and fragmentation. The species has faced local extirpations from several valleys in the region. Bears face threats like habitat loss and fragmentation due to the ever growing human population and infrastructure, poaching for trade in body parts, and competition with growing livestock numbers over limited food and poor range land management practices.
Extreme weather conditions, difficult terrain and political unrest make scientific exploration challenging in the habitat of these bears. This means information on the species existence is still either non-existent or anecdotal for a major part of the species range. Lack of information limits the provincial wildlife departments and conservation organizations for appropriate planning and management of the bear population.
This project by the Wildlife Ecology Lab at the University of Haripur, financially supported by Bears in Mind since 2024, aims to fill information gaps, spatiotemporal distribution pattern, population dynamics, negative interactions over livestock losses and crop damages and identification of key conservation areas. The modern data collection and analytical approaches will be adopted to build a scientific database of bears in HMR. Awareness session with communities and capacity building of wildlife staff will also be facilitated during the project activities.
Gut microbial diversity of Asian bears is poorly studied; most studies have been conducted on brown bears and other European and American bear species. The goal of this research project by the Wildlife and Conservation Biology (WCB) Research lab is to study the gut microbial diversity of wild and captive Sloth bears in order to understand and compare microbial diversity.
The scat samples of wild sloth bears will be collected from Jessore wildlife sanctuary, in Gujarat state, which is known for the high density of Sloth bears in India. The samples of captive sloth bears will be collected from various zoos and bear rescue facilities in India. Fresh scats will be collected in a sterile bottle containing normal saline solution, and the microbial isolation will be carried out by conventional microbiological methods. Further identification will be done using Vitek-2 compact, an automated rapid identification system used for microbial identification. Genotypic analysis will be performed using 16s rRNA analysis by Sanger sequencing, followed by data analysis using BLASTN.
Microbiome biology is currently a relatively unexplored subject in conservation biology, but it has immense promise for understanding the effects of habitat degradation and nutrient availability. The findings will help to the zoos worldwide where the Sloth bears are kept and the State Forest Department to understand the health status of wild Sloth bears and their seasonal nutritional requirements.
