Sloth bear with cubs

Gallery: WildlifePosted September 30, 2014452 views8 comments

The Sloth Bear is only found in India and in Sri Lanka. There are 3 species (out of a total of 8 in the world) of bears in India - the much larger Himalayan Black Bear, the Brown Bear and the Sloth Bear. Of all these species found in India, the most ferocious (in terms of people attacked, maimed or killed) is the Sloth Bear.
When I was an intern long ago, one of my first patients that I operated on was an elderly woman who had been 'scalped' by a sloth bear! Her scalp was hanging in front of her face, exposing the bare skull! I sutured her up, and she went home fully recovered, I might add, in spite of me

Species: Sloth bear (Melursus ursinus)
Location: Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary, Karnataka, India
Equip: Canon 20D, Canon 100-400 lens at 260mm
Specs: ISO 100, f5.6, 1/160s, Aperture priority, beanbag on vehicle

As always, all critics and critiques welcome!

Comments

8 comments

Comment posted by Ken Watkins on September 30, 2014 at 9:41 AM

Ajit,
You are so lucky to be able to visit this wonderful place and see these remarkable animals.
Judging by your equipment us this an old image?
I just love it, by the way for everybody else viewing this the rocks are this colour, I was lucky to visit once thanks to the recomendation of Ajit

Registered on December 15, 2010, 1537 Posts, 4877 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Sandor on September 30, 2014 at 11:33 AM

Ajit: I really like seeing the mother and cubs against this clean background. The position of the cubs is delightful and shows their vulnerability at this age and also emphasizes their dependence on their mother. No nits from me. Richard

Registered on January 12, 2014, 453 Posts, 1625 Comments

Comment posted by Butch Lama on September 30, 2014 at 1:54 PM

Very nicely exposure black fur and love the expression of the lil guy under its mother. Apart from India and Sri Lanka, Chitwan NP in Nepal is another place where the sighting of these bear are not uncommon.

Registered on July 23, 2010, 42 Posts, 316 Comments

Comment posted by Ajit Huilgol on September 30, 2014 at 11:17 PM

Oops, I forgot all about Nepal! Thanks, Butch, for reminding me

Registered on December 19, 2008, 302 Posts, 2055 Comments

Comment posted by Jagdeep Rajput on October 1, 2014 at 10:57 AM

Beautiful frame n subjects are neatly arranged !
Especially like the smaller paw on bigger one.

The colours in the frame have somewhat muddy feel, I was just wondering if this was due to earlier camera technology or it was like that.

Jagdeep Rajput

Registered on April 29, 2008, 686 Posts, 2857 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on October 2, 2014 at 9:30 PM

I really like the little guy looking out from between her front legs! Thanks for posting this one!

Registered on December 9, 2007, 258 Posts, 9892 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on October 2, 2014 at 10:32 PM

Very cure little ones Ajit. I love how protective she's is hovering over the cubs.

Registered on June 19, 2008, 1005 Posts, 8028 Comments

Comment posted by Morkel Erasmus on October 8, 2014 at 3:55 PM

Never knew they were that ferocious as they always look quite docile in photos.
Lovely shot!

Registered on March 22, 2011, 385 Posts, 2068 Comments