A project spanning five years aims to monitor the movement of sloth bears in Karnataka through the use of radio collars, with the goal of mitigating human-wildlife conflict. Currently, nine sloth bears have been equipped with radio collars, including a recent addition, a male in the Gudekote Sloth Bear Sanctuary in Ballari district.
The initiative, led by the NGO Wildlife SOS with support from the forest department, involves fitting GPS devices on the bears.
The primary focus of the project is to comprehend the movements of sloth bears in Ballari, Koppal, and Tumakuru districts. It seeks to identify factors contributing to human-sloth bear conflict, assess population status, and analyze the distribution of sloth bears in the region.
Arun A Sha, Director of Research and Veterinary Operations at Wildlife SOS, highlighted that the project aims to generate specific management recommendations tailored to the habitats and species that coexist with and share spaces with sloth bears.
