IWN Daily Digest — Friday, 16 October 2026

Sloth bears, which live mostly on ants, termites and fruit, appear to have been digging snakes out of the forest floor, in what may be the first record of the species hunting that prey.

As reported by Mongabay India:

“During the monsoon this year, sloth bears seemed to quite literally unearth an unusual prey … Researchers studying over a hundred scat samples found the remains of the snake in a handful …”

The observations come from Amrabad Tiger Reserve in Telangana, where the bears seem to have dug up shield-tailed snakes during this year’s monsoon. Mongabay India ran the item in its Species File series on 14 October, and it reports that the researchers found snake remains in only a handful of more than a hundred scat samples.

The sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) is mostly nocturnal and built for insect eating, with a long, flexible snout and mobile lips that suck up ants and termites. It also eats fruit and wild berries.

Its role in the forest may reach beyond the dinner plate, since a study from Rajasthan’s Aravalli hills suggests sloth bears disperse viable seeds and so may help forests regenerate.

The IUCN Red List classifies the species as Vulnerable, and India gives it the highest legal protection under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Habitat loss, fragmentation, forest degradation, poaching and the illegal international trade in body parts are among the main threats.

The only national population estimate comes from a 2006 survey, which put the count at 6,000 to 11,000 bears, with about half of them living outside protected areas.

Sources: Mongabay India

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