Sloth bear trapped in oil palm fence rescued in Andhra’s Kakinada district, sent to Visakhapatnam zoo

A Forest Department team, led by the Healing and Nurturing Units for Monitoring, Aid and Nursing of Wildlife (HANUMAN), has rescued an adult male sloth bear after it was trapped in an iron fence erected in an oil palm field at Parimithadaka, in Yeleswaram mandal of Kakinada district. The bear was rescued on Sunday (September 6, 2026) evening.

In an official release, the HANUMAN wing of the Forest Department said the timely response by the local forest personnel had ensured the safe rescue and protection of the animal.

“The rescue operation reflects the continued commitment to wildlife protection and human-wildlife coexistence,” the HANUMAN wing said.

Kakinada-based wildlife expert D. Mahesh Babu, who was associated with the rescue operation, told The Hindu: “The Sloth Bear has been sent to Indira Gandhi Zoo in Visakhapatnam city for further care and monitoring of its health for two days. It will be released into its natural habitat soon.”

Sloth bears are listed under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, which gives them the highest level of legal protection, equivalent to tigers and elephants. The species is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

They are concentrated around the Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR) and adjacent forested tracts spanning Kurnool, Palnadu and Prakasam districts.