Sikkim: Rare Tibetan Brown Bear found in India for the first time

Guwahati: In a groundbreaking discovery, wildlife enthusiasts and conservationists have celebrated the finding of the rare Tibetan Brown Bear in Sikkim. 

This is the first-ever confirmed record of the Tibetan brown bear (Ursus arctos pruinosus) in India.

Camera traps installed by the Sikkim Forest Department and WWF-India recorded this rare species in the high altitudes of North Sikkim.

The Lachen Dzumsa also supported the team in the discovery that has now shed new light on the distribution and conservation of this elusive bear.

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This discovery adds a new subspecies to the mammal diversity of the country.

The Tibetan brown bear is one of the rarest subspecies of bears in the world and is rarely sighted in the wild.

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It is uniquely adapted to the harsh conditions of the Tibetan Plateau.

Until now, there were only a few confirmed records from Nepal, Bhutan and the Tibetan plateau.

Consequently, it has been accorded the highest protection status under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 by listing it under Schedule-I.

It is also listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) as a protected species.