WII to ensure natural feeding

BANGALORE: The Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, is planning to undertake a study on the natural feeding practice for the bears at Daroji Sloth Bear  Sanctuary, Hospet Taluk  in Bellary. The step came forward after the Karnataka Forest Department came up seeking for an opinion from WII in order to protect the natural characteristics of Asia’s first sloth bear sanctuary, said an official source from the WII.Ever since it was declared as a bear sanctuary in 1994, the bears are being fed banana, rice and maize mixed with jaggery and other fruits which is not nature’s way of feeding wild animals. They are capable of hunting and providing for themselves.The sanctary is spread across 55.87 sqkm, about 15km from Hampi is the only sanctuary in Karnataka specially created to protect sloth bears. Besides, 180 sloth bears, the sanctuary with its rocky terrain, boulders and caves, also houses 200 varieties of birds, leopards, hyenas, wild boars, jackals and painted spur fowls.Speaking to Express, a forest official said, “Seeking WII’s opinion in this regard, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden, B K Singh, had send a letter to the director, WII, stating that providing cooked food to the sloth bears in the sanctuary makes them more dependent as it is an artificial process.”“The sanctuary has a wide area covered with natural forest, hence it should not be a problem for the bears to search for food. But initially they might have to face certain problems till the time they get habituated to the practice,” he said.