18-Sep-2020:  Death of two sloth bears worries Nandankanan zoo authorities

Authorities at the Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP) are concerned over the back-to-back deaths of two sloth bears at the park.

Sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) is a nocturnal insectivorous species of bears found in India.

It feeds on fruits, ants and termites. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. The sloth bear is listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. International trade of the sloth bear is prohibited as it is listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Nandankanan zoo is located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. It lies in adjacent to Chandaka-Dampara Wildlife Sanctuary. It is the only zoological park in India to become an institutional member of World Association of Zoos and Aquarium (WAZA).

The Nandankanan zoo hosts India’s only pangolin conservation breeding centre. It is the first zoo in the World to breed White tiger and Melanistic tiger.