"The sloth bear is
the most interesting of all bears. With its particularly
long claws, it digs up termite hills and sucks in the insects.
To adapt to this form of nutrition, its snout has a peculiar
shape. The sloth bear can fold its lips forward and close
its nostrils. Its fur is black and rather long, perhaps
as a protection against angry insects. The u-shaped white
marking on the chest and the small white tufts in the ears
of the bear differ greatly from individual to individual.
During my visits to the zoo, I often passed the enclosure
of the sloth bear and found their appearance to be so
strange that I could not imagine ever making cuddly toys
like them.
This year, I observed s mother sloth bear with its baby
for the first time. The mother bear is so caring and its
baby so cute that I fell in love with these bears."
Annekatrin Mehlan
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