CIC, SL B&B Platform and BEAR seminar shares sloth bear research findings

Saturday, 29 November 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

CIC Holdings PLC, in partnership with the Sri Lanka Business and Biodiversity (SL B&B) Platform and Biodiversity Education And Research (BEAR), recently shared the findings of their year-long study conducted on the Sri Lankan sloth bear in Wilpattu National Park.

The project was funded by CIC and implemented under the supervision of the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) with the guidance of Prof. Devaka Weerakoon from the Department of Zoology at the University of Colombo. The findings of the study were presented at a seminar led by Ranil Nanayakkara, Principal Researcher and Co-founder of BEAR, and a documentary was presented by Nilantha Vishwanath, Co-founder of BEAR. The seminar took place at the National Science Foundation and was attended by a gathering of representatives from the public and private sector, as well as students, academics and members of the general public. The seminar highlighted the progress made in the first phase of the study, which helped gauge the sloth bear population in Wilpattu. The project explored the entire park and then specifically zoomed in on the Maradanmaduwa area which was found to be inhabited by approximately 26 bears. The study also revealed insights on the dietary and habitat preferences as well as the behavioural patterns of the sloth bear. Recently acknowledged as one of Sri Lanka’s ‘Top Seven’ wildlife species, the sloth bear is both highly threatened and understudied. The data collected will support the potential creation of an effective conservation plan to protect sloth bears across Sri Lanka. As a leading blue chip conglomerate in Sri Lanka, CIC is dedicated to promoting sustainability and environmental conservation throughout its diverse business portfolio. For more information on the research study visit www.business-biodiversity.lk.