Anthony J. Giordano, Nishith Dharaiya

Sloth bear is the only bear species occurs in western India and are distributed in and around five protected areas as well as in highly fragmented non-protected areas of Gujarat. To assess the habitat use in these areas, we collected data using sign survey. The study revealed a strong selection for riverine forest while dry deciduous forests are moderately preferred. Land Use Land Cover (LULC) data were used to understand decadal changes in the non-protected habitats. Results revealed that the agricultural area is increased by 36% mostly converted from the barren (2284 km2) and moderate forests (329 km2). Fragmentation analysis revealed that edge increase and patch forest reduced the core forest integrity. We identified the factors affecting sloth bear movement using a multi-criteria habitat suitability model and GLM analysis. Results revealed that moderate forest far from the roads are found more suitable for sloth bear movements. While the habitats on high elevation with steep slopes are found least suitable for movement of sloth bears. Overall, our study provides baseline data for the state forest department for future management and findings highlight the need for landscape level conservation planning to ensure the long-term persistence of sloth bears in rapidly changing non-protected areas of Gujarat.