Rare Tibetan brown bear spotted in Sikkim, viral pic captivates internet

In a groundbreaking revelation, a seldom-seen Tibetan brown bear has been spotted in the Indian wilderness, marking its debut appearance in the country. The momentous discovery was captured by camera traps strategically positioned by the Sikkim Forest Department in collaboration with WWF-India, documenting the elusive species in the lofty altitudes of North Sikkim.

You are seeing first ever picture of 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. pic.twitter.com/NvMohtXxjT

— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) January 15, 2024

Sharing the news with the public, Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Parveen Kaswan, known for his regular updates on wildlife, posted two captivating pictures of the bear on his social media account. Accompanying the images was a caption that read, ''You are seeing the first-ever picture of a rare Tibetan Brown Bear from #India. With this, one more sub-species is 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.''

According to information from PTI, officials highlighted the distinctiveness of this rare bear compared to the more commonly encountered Himalayan black bear, emphasizing differences in appearance, habitat, and behavior. The omnivorous creature is known to inhabit high-altitude alpine forests, meadows, and steppe regions above 4000 meters, sustaining itself on a diet of marmots and alpine vegetation.

The Tibetan brown bear, also referred to as the Tibetan blue bear, stands as one of the rarest subspecies globally, with scarce sightings in the wild. Prior to this discovery in India, only a handful were spotted in Nepal, Bhutan, and the Tibetan plateau.

Social media erupted with enthusiasm as users expressed their awe at the extraordinary find. One user exclaimed, ''Oh wow. Awesome, and its fur coat is so nice and thick. Super sighting.'' Another commented, ''So much of nature is yet unexplored.''

A user likened the bear to a mini version of Grizzly bears, while another echoed the sentiment, stating, “So much of nature is yet unexplored.”