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Jacob Siegel

Links: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/sloth-bear/


 * Facing Extinction:**

Everyone knows about sloths, and everybody knows about bears, but what about the Sloth Bear. It may sound like a joke, but sloth bears are very real. Perhaps they are not known very well because they face extinction. The sloth bear is listed as vulnerable on the World Conservation Union's Red List of Threatened Animals. Sloth bears face habitat loss because their forests are being cut down. Also, their natural predators such as wild dogs, tigers, and leopards are taking a toll on sloth bears. However, their biggest threat is mankind. Even though they can run up to 156 miles per second, their sight isn't very good and they are prone to run into tree branches and trip over rocks. This helps their predator get to them and make them a meal.


 * The Diet of a Sloth Bear:**

The way the sloth bear eats is unlike any other animal in the world. First, the sloth bear goes in search of a termite or ant hole. Then, the sloth bear puts its mouth over the hole and starts sucking termites out of the hole through the front gap of their teeth. To open a hole even more, they use their claws, which can be rock hard, to expand the hole. While searching at night for food, they emit noisy grunts and snorts. Most of their hunting is done at night because they are nocturnal. They also dine on mango, fig, ebony, and other fruits. Sometimes, sloth bears