Habitat use pattern and assess impacts of biotic pressure The sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) is one of the most widely distributed large mammals in India. At the same time, the sloth bear has suffered as much as other large mammals from human impacts on forested areas. The Darrah Wildlife Sanctuary, which comprises both protected and unprotected areas, harbors a sizeable population of sloth bears (n=21). The habitat available for sloth bears is highly degraded and interspersed by villages and agricultural crop fields. Due to the ongoing encroachment on the forest land and habitat degradation...