Tigers sometimes prey on sloth bears in India, but predation attempts are rarely witnessed.
The accompanying footage, captured in the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, shows a sloth bear fleeing for its life as tourists watch from a safari vehicle, anticipating what might happen next.
Nearly 15 seconds after the bear passes, in a grainy scene captured from another vehicle, the tiger is shown bounding across the road in hot pursuit.
Tiger chasing a sloth bear in Pilibhit Tiger Reserve. Jungles never cease to amaze us.
VC: Siddharth Singh pic.twitter.com/JHlKztkkUX
— Ramesh Pandey (@rameshpandeyifs) April 3, 2024
“Jungles never cease to amaze us,” Ramesh Pandey of the Indian Forest Service exclaimed Wednesday via X, crediting Siddharth Singh for the footage.
Although tigers occasionally prey on sloth bears, the two species can thrive together in shared protected habitat, according to Wildlife SOS.
Sloth bears can weigh nearly 300 pounds. Their diet consists mostly of termites, ants, carrion, fruits and plants, and small mammals.
As viewers can see, they’re not at all sloth-like in their movements, especially when they fall under attack.
