Abstract 59 – Sloth Bear Long Distance Dispersal

Shanmugavelu Swaminathan, Thomas Sharp, Arun Sha, Kartick Satyanarayan,
Geeta Seshamani

Long distance dispersal is requisite to the health and long-term survival of wild bear
populations. Habitat loss and fragmentation as well as human activity and land use make long
distance dispersal more dangerous to bears and other wildlife, due to the possibility of falling
victim to anthropogenic risks such as roads and open wells. We know from DNA studies
conducted in Central India that sloth bears disperse across areas that are not well forested,
however, until now there has been no documentation of a sloth bear long-distance dispersal
across a fragmented landscape. Here we describe the longest documented dispersal journey of
a sloth bear across a fragmented habitat. In 2022 we fitted ten sloth bears with GPS iridium
collars in two Sloth Bear Sanctuaries, Daroji and Gudekote, in the southern state of Karnataka,
India. In 2023 a collared 3–4-year-old female, which we named Bindhu, left her home range in
Gudekote Sloth Bear Sanctuary and traveled 162 kms (139 km straight line distance) over an 11-
day period to eventually settle in Gangapalli Reserve Forest in the neighboring state of Andra
Pradesh. We analyzed movement metrics, directionality, and space use during three behavioral
stages of dispersal, 1) pre-dispersal, 2) dispersal and 3) post-dispersal. We compared
movement during the day to movement during the night as well as how the bear used different
habitat types. We looked at major barriers, such as roads, and any peculiarities in crossing
those barriers. Additionally, we looked at other interesting factors that may have played a role
in Bindhu dispersing from her natal area. Including the fact that while Bindhu dispersed, her
female sibling (Cindhu) stayed in her natal area. Before Bindhu‘s dispersal the home ranges of
these two sisters overlapped to a large degree.