Sloth Bear

About this book

Sloth Bear: The Barefoot Bear of Sri Lanka synthesises the author’s body of research and experiences while working on the subspecies of sloth bear in Sri Lanka. Accompanied by beautiful photographs, the book provides readers with access to scientific information of urgent conservation concern delivered in a non-technical style.

Meet one of the most enigmatic animals of the lowland forests: the sloth bear. This book provides a wealth of resources and imagery on the biology, ecology, and behaviour of sloth bears; sloth bear habitat and the rising threats to it from human population growth; and the difficult relationship between humans and sloth bears.

Written in an engaging and accessible style, this book is an essential and inspiring read for both professional ecologists and non-specialist readers interested in the challenges of large carnivore conservation and workable solutions for human-bear coexistence.

Part of the proceeds from the sale of this book will go to the Bear Conservation Fund of the International Association for Bear Research and Management. The fund supports bear research activities and conservation projects to understand and sustain bear populations across the world.

Contents

Foreword
Preface

1. Natural History of the Sloth Bear and Cultural Perspectives
2. Distribution of the Sloth Bear
3. The Ecology of the Sloth Bear
4. Sloth Bears as Surrogates for Carnivore Conservation
5. Conflicts Between Humans and Sloth Bears
6. A Future for the Sloth Bear

Acknowledgements
References
Index

Biography

Shyamala Ratnayeke, PhD, conducted the first focused field study on the subspecies of sloth bear found in Sri Lanka. She has been associated with research on Asian bears and other carnivores for more than 20 years. She has served on the IUCN Bear Specialist Group and on the Council and the Research and Conservation Grants Committee of the International Association for Bear Research and Management for several years. In her current role as an associate professor at Sunway University, she teaches courses in biology and conducts research on the Malayan sun bear and other carnivores.

Luxshmanan Nadaraja is a leading Sri Lankan wildlife photographer who has published and co-authored a number of books on the nature, archaeology, and culture of Sri Lanka. He is the founder and CEO of the studio Wildlight (Pvt) Ltd, Sri Lanka.