You hear it crashing through the trees.
There's no way to escape it.
The sloth bear is the most dangerous bear
in the world.
And it's going to tear your face off.
Sloth bears are found
throughout the Indian subcontinent.
They are not related to sloths,
and are certainly not slow.
They were named by zoologist
George Shaw
for their sloth-like long claws
and unusual teeth.
Sloth bears don't seem all that dangerous.
They are surprisingly small,
weighing only 136 kg (300 lb).
They are also not meat-eaters.
They have long skulls and small,
gapped teeth
that are ideal for eating insects.
But when provoked,
sloth bears are vicious.
They can easily maim or kill a person,
and boast the highest per capita
human death rate of any bear species.
Sloth bears kill
dozens of people a year,
though many of the attacks
go unreported.
They're also notorious
for tearing open the faces of their victims.
That's one face-off you'll want to avoid.
Sloth bears do not hunt or feed on humans
as part of their usual routine.
They only attack in self-defense.
However,
they are extremely protective of their cubs.
They are known to go after anyone
who gets too close to their offspring,
which will remain under their mother's
watchful eye for up to a year.
If there happens to be
a heatwave underway,
sloth bears may also wander into
populated areas in search of water.
And as humans expand further
into their habitat,
potentially deadly attacks
will only increase.
It's better to be safe than sorry.
Do not venture anywhere near areas
where they've been spotted.
And whatever you do,
don't leave food in the open
as it could attract them.
The worst thing you can do
to an unsuspecting sloth bear
is surprise it.
If you find yourself in the vicinity of one,
try to make as much noise as possible.
Consider wearing a bell.
Yes, really.
This will avoid startling the bear
and causing it to attack.
If you have to go into bear territory,
travel in groups of at least three.
Never go alone.
Also, keep your ears open
for any odd noises.
When feeding on ants and termites,
sloth bears use their lips and tongue
to create suction
and vacuum up their food
with a distinctive slurping sound.
If you encounter a sloth bear,
do not turn your back.
Absolutely do not try to run.
A sloth bear on the move is extremely fast
and can hit speeds of 32 km/h (20 mph).
Keep facing the bear
and back away slowly.
The last thing you want is for it to charge.
If it does,
hold your ground for a moment.
It might be a bluff.
As tempting as it might be,
do not try to climb a tree to escape.
Sloth bears are excellent climbers
and aren't above scaling a tree after you.
Trying to fight off a sloth bear
is a bad idea,
and tends to result in a greater chance
of sustaining serious injury.
If a confrontation is inevitable,
your best bet is to
drop to the ground face down.
When the bear reaches you,
try to cover your head
with your arms to minimize damage.
Yes, you might still be hurt,
but if you keep your head
and face protected
you'll increase your odds of surviving.
Scream for help.
There is strength in numbers,
and others may arrive
to help scare the bear off.
If the bear starts to lose interest in you,
play dead.
If you can convince it you're not a threat,
it might leave you alone.
Remember,
it has no interest in eating you.
Sometimes people will hunt sloth bears
in retaliation
after a life-threatening encounter
in an effort to seek some sort of revenge.
Do not do this.
Sloth bears don't attack people
out of malice, only instinct.
Let it go, and be thankful
you were able to walk away
from a sloth bear attack.
But sloth bears aren't the only
deadly creatures you should be wary of.
Lions are bigger,
stronger and faster than you.
Could you scare one away
by staring it down?
Find out here.