Abstract 54 - Sloth bear den study with reference to their geo-morphology and den selection in the dry deciduous forests of Gujarat state, India

Sarthak Chaudhary, UGC-CAS Department of Biosciences, Saurashtra University StudentSalon 4

Sarthak Chaudhary, Nishith Dharaiya, Suresh Chovatiya, Thomas Sharp

Sloth bear denning ecology is complex and largely unknown. We located maternal and resting
sloth bear den in the forests of central Gujarat, at the western edge of sloth bear range and
collected data on den locations and other physical characteristics. The study area, though
patchy and fragmented and surrounded by agricultural lands with substantial anthropogenic
pressure, acts as a corridor linking two protected areas namely Ratanmahal and Jambughoda
Wildlife Sanctuaries and is a home to roughly 100 sloth bears. Dens were located by gathering
information from the local forest staff and forest dwellers. These dens were then authenticated
by visiting the den site and documenting sign as well as setting up camera traps to collect
photographs of bears using the dens. Out of 62 dens identified, 21 maternal dens and 41 were
confirmed as resting dens. All the dens were found in the naturally occurring caves. Maternal
dens were found at a higher elevation (330 ± 57.64m) and steeper slopes (14.01º ± 4.41) than
resting dens (288.78 ± 51.02m, 12.78º ± 5.16). No significant differences were found in regard
to aspect or ruggedness. The mean distance from water sources to both maternal and resting
dens was closer than the forest boundaries, human settlements, and roads. Resting dens were
observed in open, moderate, and moderately dense forest. Maternal dens tended to be located
close to forest boundaries but far from human settlements. The resulting information of sloth
bear denning in this study area will help with regional sloth bear habitat management as well as
giving further insight into the overall complexity of sloth bear denning across their range. It may
also be useful in mitigating human-sloth bear conflicts by restricting human activities in
identified denning locations.

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