Onlookers were in for a surprise when they spotted a sloth bear climbing a tree in the Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh. And the moment the pictures surfaced online, they obviously went viral.
Referring to this, Srikakulam District Forest Officer Sandeep Krupakar Gundala said that the forest area nearby is a natural habitat for the bears and, at times, the bears come near the villages. He added that there is a casuarina plantation near the sea coast of Bay of Bengal, thus, a bear coming near the village cannot be treated as a rare phenomenon.
Srikakulam District has the longest coastline in Andhra Pradesh, and is flanked by the Bay of Bengal on one side and Odisha on the other. This spot is significant for Buddhist shrines and monasteries, such as Danthapuram and Salihundam, and pilgrim centers like Srimukhalingam, Srikurmam, Arasavalli, and Ravivalasaan.
Andhra Pradesh: A sloth bear was spotted near Onkuluru village in Vajrapu Kotturu Mandal of Srikakulam yesterday. pic.twitter.com/siY9hbqjWU
— ANI (@ANI) July 7, 2020
Some of the Mahendragiri Hills covers the district, which exhibits a variety of local changes in composition and density. Reason why it is a natural habitat of many wild animals. However, deforestation and human habitation have resulted in the disappearance of the many species.
In the past few years, steps have been taken to make it greener and provide viable opportunities to locals. And although the district has just 12 percent of forest cover, in the past few years, the tree cover has increased considerably due to the massive tree planting activities undertaken by different state departments, enabling the area to attain ecological sustainability.
Thus, when all this is over, this district can find a place in your offbeat travel bucket list. And if you are lucky, you might spot the cute sloth bears up-close and personal.