Jaipur: In an ambitious conservation plan, sloth bears may be introduced in the Sariska Tiger Reserve. Following the successful relocation of tigers, the initiative aims to re-introduce an animal that had disappeared from Sariska during the early twentieth century.

Bina Kak, minister of tourism for forests and environment, said, “Sloth bears would be re-introduced from Kota and Mount Abu. Sloth bear population in Mount Abu is beyond what the area can hold leading to man-animal conflict. The genetic stock of the sloth bears from Kota and Mount Abu areas and of Sariska is assumed to be similar as they are in semiarid areas in Aravalli hills.”