Habitat occupancy of sloth bear Melursus ursinus in Chitwan National Park, Nepal

Abstract

Mammals have experienced a massive decline in their populations and geographic ranges worldwide. The sloth bear, Melursus ursinus (Shaw, 1791), is one of many species facing conservation threats. Despite being endangered in Nepal, decades of inattention to the situation have hindered their conservation and management. We assessed the distribution and patterns of habitat use by sloth bears in Chitwan National Park (CNP), Nepal. We conducted sign surveys from March to June, 2020, in 4 × 4 km grids (n = 45). We collected detection/non‐detection data along a 4‐km trail that was divided into 20 continuous segments of 200 m each. We obtained environmental, ecological, and anthropogenic covariates to understand determinants of sloth bear habitat occupancy. The data were analyzed using the single‐species single‐season occupancy method, with a spatially correlated detection. Using repeated observations, these models accounted for the imperfect detectability of the species to provide robust estimates of habitat occupancy. The model‐averaged occupancy estimate for the sloth bear was 69% and the detection probability was 0.25. The probability of habitat occupancy by sloth bears increased with the presence of termites and fruits and in rugged, dry, open, undisturbed habitats. Our results indicate that the sloth bear is elusive, functionally unique, and widespread in CNP. Future conservation interventions and action plans aimed at sloth bear management must adequately consider their habitat requirements.

N-mixture model-based estimate of relative abundance of sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) in response to biotic and abiotic factors in a human-dominated landscape of central India

“…However, to cope with extensive human pressure in STR, sloth bears have shown a fine-scale seasonal spatio-temporal segregation ( Chaudhuri et al, 2022 ). On the other hand, sloth bears avoided areas close to villages in STR, which is in agreement with previous studies ( Santhanakrishnan et al, 2015 ; Puri et al, 2015 ; Paudel et al, 2022 ; Pokharel et al, 2022 ). Such behavior could be due to the better availability of forage and shelter (day-resting den sites) in relatively undisturbed habitats.…”

“…We also could not find any significant relationship between the relative abundance of sloth bears and local-scale covariates, although the availability of fruiting trees positively influenced the detection probability of sloth bears. In Nepal’s Chitwan and Churia (a lowland forest outside the PAs) forests, the presence of fruiting trees and termite mounds positively influenced the sloth bear’s occupancy and detection probability ( Paudel et al, 2022 ; Pokharel et al, 2022 ). Das et al (2014) also recorded a similar observation in southern India during their occupancy-based study.…”

“…Sloth bears generally avoid human disturbances ( Santhanakrishnan et al, 2015 ; Puri et al, 2015 ; Paudel et al, 2022 ; Pokharel et al, 2022 ). However, they can also tolerate certain degree of human pressure or get habituated to living in disturbed and fragmented forests ( Akhtar, Bargali & Chauhan, 2004 ; Prajapati, Koli & Sundar, 2021 ).…”

Factors affecting the occupancy of sloth bear and its detection probability in Parsa–Koshi Complex, Nepal

“…We found the likelihood of detection of sloth bears was relatively moderate in PKC, which might be due to their secretive nature (Garshelis, Joshi, & Smith, 1999; Garshelis, Joshi, Smith, et al, 1999). In addition to our study, many other studies of the lowlands of Nepal also mentioned a modest detection probability of the sloth bear in the CNP and Chure region (Paudel et al, 2022; Pokharel et al, 2022), whereas there was a low detection probability in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Western Ghats, India (Ramesh et al, 2012), and Karnataka, India (Das et al, 2014). This is probably due to the rapidly declining global population density of sloth bears (Dharaiya et al, 2020).…”

Temporal and spatial pattern of wildlife attacks on human in Chitwan National Park, Nepal

“…Additionally, loud noises and bright lights used by humans to deter wildlife may trigger violent behavior and lead to attacks. Sloth bear primarily attacks a human in farmland areas, as they are commonly found in areas with an abundance of termites and fruits (Paudel et al 2022). Similarly, wild boars are considered the drivers of human and wildlife conflict in the protected area of Nepal (Pandey et al 2015).…”