Melursus ursinus inornatus
Sloth Bear
Shaggy, short-sighted and single-minded when the palu fruit ripens.
- Palu fruit season
- Full day
- Yala Blocks 1, 5 and 6
- Feeds on fruit and termites
Sloth bears are one of the 44 mammal species in Yala and one of the least predictable. For most of the year they are a lucky find.
When the palu fruit is in season the odds change: bears climb for the fruit and feed in the open, often in the middle of the day, and sightings become far more likely.
A full-day drive improves your chances more than any other choice you can make.
Where to look
Under fruiting palu trees and along quiet inner tracks away from the main loop.
How often it is seen
Uncommon, best in fruit season
Also in the park