Sloth bear shot dead in Jessore

PALANPUR: An female sloth bear was found shot dead in Vavdhara forest in Jessore sanctuary in Banaskantha.
Sub district forest officer (SDFO) DS Solanki said on Monday that the animal, which was around 8 years old and weighed 68 kg, was found dead late on Friday evening inside the protected area of Jessore Wildlife Sanctuary.
Solanki said this was the first incident of a sloth bear being shot dead reported in the sanctuary.
"Our forest guard rushed to the spot hearing the noise of firing in the sanctuary. We feel that someone might have killed the animal just for hunting pleasure or shot thinking that it was a wild boar," the officer said.
The protected area where the body was found is close to the Rajasthan border. "We are also gathering information about the people in the area who possess firearms," he said.
Senior forest department officials have taken the incident very seriously and are conducting an in-depth inquiry. There are nearly 45 sloth bears in Jessore sanctuary that spreads around 180 sq km. Another 45 are found in Balaram-Ambaji sloth bear sanctuary.