The size of the home range of an individual sloth bear will vary with the concentration of high energy food sources. Thus, the more concentrated the food sources, the smaller the range necessary to maintain an animal. Sloth bears, more than any of the other bear species, appear to like the company of other bears within its territory. The bears readily communicate with one another using facial expressions and a diverse variety of sounds characterized as roars, howls, squeals, yelps, huffs, rattles and gurgles. To date, there is no definitive research which details the exact nature of the home range of the sloth bear.
Studies involving placing radio-equipped collars on selected bears are currently underway.
It is hoped that information will be forthcoming in the near future to assist in establishing the size of the conservation areas that will be needed in order to ensure the survival of these bears in the wild. Reproduction In Sri Lanka, sloth bears have been observed mating at all times of the year while in India, mating usually takes place between June and July. It is described as a boisterous occasion with the bears engaging in hugging-like behaviour and mock fighting. The cubs are usually born sometime between late December and early January to coincide with the dry season. With the gestation period generally being between six and seven months, there is strong speculation that sloth bears may undergo what has been called delayed implementation.