Rajasthan: Sariska Tiger Reserve now gets a male sloth bear

JAIPUR: A day after a female sloth bear (Melursus Ursinus) was relocated from Mount Abu to Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar, the state forest department moved a male bear also on Friday. The female bear was translocated and kept in a soft enclosure on Thursday. Now, the male bear is being kept in the enclosure, said officials.
The Sariska region had a sizeable number of the omnivores, but these went extinct over a century ago. A reintroduction programme undertaken in 2015 failed, after which the forest department is again attempting to relocate sloth bears in the region. “Both the male and the female sloth bears have been kept in an enclosure and are being monitored till further orders from our team of experts.
The male sloth bear reached Sariska around 12 noon on Friday and is being monitored at present by senior veterinary officers. Till Saturday morning, they will be kept in the enclosure itself, after which it will be decided on when to release them,” said R N Meena, field director Sariska Tiger Reserve. Officials said that the female sloth bear is around six-seven years old, and the male bear is around nine to 10 years old. Both the bears will be radio-collared on Saturday using the latest technology so that their movements can be tracked, said officials.