Sloth Bears Spotted in West Bengal: Promising Conservation Efforts

Kolkata, Nov 28 (PTI) Recent images captured by trap cameras have confirmed the presence of at least four sloth bears in the Kotshila-Jhalda forest within West Bengal's Purulia district, raising hopes for conservation efforts, according to officials on Friday. Previously, only one sloth bear had been caught on camera in the region in 2022. The camera trap initiative commenced in January across three forest divisions of Purulia, a collaborative effort between the Forest Department and the Human and Environment Alliance League (HEAL), an NGO focused on biodiversity conservation.

“Upon reviewing the images obtained from the trap cameras, we’ve concluded that there are at least four sloth bears in the area. We are now working on a conservation project to safeguard these animals,” stated Kotshila Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Anjan Guha to PTI. He elaborated, “The animals have been seen frequenting a dam for water. We’ve embarked on an awareness campaign in nearby villages to prevent human-animal conflicts.”

Chief Wildlife Warden Sandeep Sundriyal, who is set to visit Purulia to further discuss the findings, remarked, “I’ve been informed about the sightings. It’s encouraging to know that these animals remain within their habitats and avoid human settlements, hence mitigating conflict.” Sundriyal added, “The discovery of wildlife in the forested regions of south Bengal is indeed delightful news. We’ve also had recent sightings of Indian striped hyenas in the scrublands and plateau areas of Paschim Bardhaman district. Their ability to stay away from human-populated areas near forest stretches speaks volumes about important co-existence that preserves biodiversity.”

Forest department officials have additionally spotted pangolins and wolves in Purulia.