Sloth Bear

Sloth Bear, originally uploaded by Jo Bradford.

Sloth bear - Melursus (Ursus) ursinus

Sloth bears were originally classified as belonging to the sloth family in the 1700s, and were named bear sloths. When the first live sloth bear was shipped from India to Europe in 1810, scientists corrected the error and they were renamed.

The life span of a Sloth Bear is 20-25 years. An adult Sloth Bear weighs up to 140kg and stands up to 190cm tall. Sloth bears are stocky with long, shaggy, black hair and a white U- or Y-shaped marking on the chest. They have large lips, a long tongue, a pale muzzle and well-developed hook-like claws that enable them to climb trees and dig for termites.

See an in depth slideshow of this whole photostory here...