Nagpur: A six-month-old male sloth bear tragically died on Tuesday morning at the Balasaheb Thackeray Gorewada International Zoological Park after sustaining fatal injuries during a violent altercation with other sloth bears inside the enclosure.
Despite swift intervention by zoo staff and immediate veterinary treatment, the cub could not be saved. The incident marks the third fatal intra-species conflict involving wild animals at the zoo in the past three years, raising questions about enclosure safety and animal compatibility protocols.
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10 June 2025
According to Shatnik Bhagwat, Director of Gorewada Zoo, “The injured sloth bear suffered deep wounds to the head and abdomen during the scuffle. Our staff monitors all captive animals 24×7 and intervenes in case of aggressive behaviour. In this instance too, we responded promptly, but the injuries proved fatal.”
While Gorewada Zoo is renowned for its advanced facilities for both wildlife conservation and tourism, it has previously made headlines for similar tragic incidents. In one case three years ago, a wild leopard breached the zoo premises and killed a captive female leopard before disappearing. In another, a sloth bear cub was killed by a male bear during what appeared to be rough play inside the enclosure just a few months ago.
Bhagwat noted that such incidents are rare but deeply concerning. “We are currently reviewing our housing and monitoring protocols for sloth bears to ensure such unfortunate events are avoided in the future,” he said.
The incident has once again brought focus on the challenges of managing wild animal behaviour in captivity and the need for constant reassessment of zoo safety measures.
