Maharashtra: Rare erythristic sloth bear spotted and photographed inside Bor Tiger Reserve near Nagpur

The mother, with a regular (black) coat

In a rare wildlife moment just 60 km from Nagpur, unusual colour variants of the sloth bear have been captured inside the Bor Tiger Reserve. Erythrism, a rare colour variation, was photographed in a sloth bear by a Nagpur-based wildlife conservation photographer during a safari in the protected forest.

The sighting has generated excitement among wildlife enthusiasts and conservationists, as such rare morphs are seldom recorded in central India. Erythrism refers to a rare colour variation in animals caused by an excess of reddish or reddish-brown pigmentation.

Bear cub displaying erythrism

A few days ago, wildlife conservation photographer Sarosh Lodhi was on a tiger safari along with his friends in the offbeat Bor Tiger Reserve. Lodhi said trying an offbeat, not so frequently visited tiger reserve was not an easy choice, but paid rich dividends when they sighted the "magnificent, differently-morphed bear cub".

"Bor offers decent sightings of tigers, leopards, and recently, bears. We came across this family of bears, with one of the two cubs being erythristic. Like melanistic for black, the erythristic ones have primarily reddish coloration. The mother and the cubs wandered around and then vanished in the thicket. A tiger sighting would have been good, but sighting this was a pure jackpot," Lodhi told mid-day. Bor Tiger Reserve is a protected area in Maharashtra's Wardha district, near Nagpur, and is part of the central Indian tiger landscape.

About the sloth bear

Sloth bears (Melursus ursinus) are native to the Indian subcontinent and are mainly found in India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. The species has witnessed a decline in population and a significant contraction of its range over the past century, largely due to habitat loss. The species is protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and is listed as ‘vulnerable' in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. There are around 15,000 to 20,000 sloth bears in India.

What is erythrism?

The sloth bear cub displaying erythrism. PICS/SAROSH LODHI

Erythrism is a rare colour morph marked by an excess of red pigmentation, giving the animal's fur a reddish or rusty appearance.

15K-20K
No of sloth bear population