Sloth Bears Eating Habits
As animals who consume ants, sloth bears are considered myrmecophagous.
When trees are in fruit, usually during the monsoon season, sloth bears dine on mango, fig, ebony and other fruits, and also on flowers. Termites, dug out of their cement-hard nest mounds, and some ants, are year-round staples. During non-fruiting season, insects constitute 95 percent of their diet. Sloth bears climb trees and knock down honeycombs, later collecting the honey from the forest floor. Beetles, grubs, and other insects round out their diet. During food shortages, sloth bears will eat carrion. They also sometimes raid farm crops.
The Smithsonian's National Zoo's sloth bears eat a dry-food mixture designed for omnivores plus fruits such as oranges, melons, and
grapes. At the Zoo, they are offered food three times daily: a morning meal and afternoon snack outdoors plus an evening meal indoors. They also receive treats such as mealworms, crickets, nuts, vegetables and honey as enrichment.
When trees are in fruit, usually during the monsoon season, sloth bears dine on mango, fig, ebony and other fruits, and also on flowers. Termites, dug out of their cement-hard nest mounds, and some ants, are year-round staples. During non-fruiting season, insects constitute 95 percent of their diet. Sloth bears climb trees and knock down honeycombs, later collecting the honey from the forest floor. Beetles, grubs, and other insects round out their diet. During food shortages, sloth bears will eat carrion. They also sometimes raid farm crops.
The Smithsonian's National Zoo's sloth bears eat a dry-food mixture designed for omnivores plus fruits such as oranges, melons, and
grapes. At the Zoo, they are offered food three times daily: a morning meal and afternoon snack outdoors plus an evening meal indoors. They also receive treats such as mealworms, crickets, nuts, vegetables and honey as enrichment.