Caught on camera: Rare Tibetan brown bear spotted in Sikkim

Gangtok, January 14

A rare Tibetan brown bear species has been found roaming in the high altitude areas of North Sikkim, officials of the state’s Forest and Wildlife Department said on Sunday.

Camera traps captured the bear (scientific name: Ursus arctos pruinosus) with its characteristic yellowish scarf-like collar that broadens from the shoulders to the chest in Mangan district last month.

This rare bear is very different from the more commonly found Himalayan black bear in terms of its appearance, habitat and behaviour, the officials said.

The omnivore lives in high-altitude alpine forests, meadows and steppe above 4000 metre and feeds on marmots and alpine vegetation.

“The discovery of a rare Tibetan brown bear marks a significant moment for biodiversity in the region and underscores the importance of preserving and protecting the state’s precious wildlife,” an official said.

The Tibetan brown bear, also known as the Tibetan blue bear, is one of the rarest subspecies of bears in the world, and is rarely sighted in the wild. Only a few were sighted from Nepal, Bhutan and the Tibetan plateau.

With assistance from Lachen Dzumsa, a traditional socio-political institution of North Sikkim, a forest and wildlife department team set up camera traps in high altitudes of Mangan district and captured this elusive bear.