India's First-ever Tibetan Brown Bear Spotted in North Sikkim, IFS Officer Shares Viral Pic

In a groundbreaking revelation, India has documented its first evidence of a rare Tibetan Brown Bear. The bear was sighted in the elevated terrains of Northern Sikkim, courtesy of the camera traps strategically positioned by the Sikkim Forest Department and World Wildlife Fund India. Celebrating this momentous find, IFS officer Parveen Kaswan proudly declared the inclusion of yet another sub-species to India’s diverse biodiversity. Contemplating the extensive untouched marvels within the nation, he conveyed that there still exists a wealth of unexplored realms awaiting discovery and disclosure.

“You are seeing the first ever picture of a rare Tibetan Brown Bear from #India. With this one more sub-species added to the Indian #biodiversity. This rare animal is documented in higher reaches of Sikkim with the joint effort of #Sikkim FD and WWF. So much India yet to be explored,” as stated in the caption accompanying the images.

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Simultaneously, he revealed that his team had identified five bear species in India, namely the Himalayan Black Bear, Himalayan Brown Bear, Sloth Bear, Sun Bear, and Tibetan Brown Bear.

All India Radio News shared an image of this Tibetan Brown Bear on Instagram, noting in their post, “The camera traps that recorded the bear were placed by Phuchung Lachenpa, Tashi Palden Lachenpa, and Palden Lepcha in the high altitudes of Mangan district and caught this elusive bear in December 2023. These photos highlight the characteristic yellowish scarf-like collar of this bear that broadens from the shoulders to the chest.”

As per PTI, officials highlighted that the Tibetan Brown Bear differs significantly from the more commonly encountered Himalayan Black Bear in terms of appearance, habitat, and behaviour. This omnivorous species thrives in high-altitude alpine forests, meadows, and steppe above 4000 m, sustaining itself on marmots and alpine vegetation.

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The Tibetan Brown Bear, also recognised as the Tibetan Blue Bear, stands as one of the rarest bear subspecies globally and is seldom observed in the wild, with only a few sightings reported from Nepal, Bhutan, and the Tibetan plateau.