Sloth Bear Deadly 60 Bites

On Deadly 60, I've had loads of incredible animal encounters.

Here's just one of my many favourites.

This is Deadly 60 Bites.

So, in India,

there's an awful lot of wildlife and an awful lot of people.

How much do the people know about their animals?

I'm going to do a survey to find out.

-Do you know these two animals?

-Yeah.

-Tiger and a bear.

-Yes, I know.

-Which do you think is the most scary?

-This one is more.

-Which is the most scary?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Don't go away!

-Tiger.

-Tiger

-Tiger.

-A tiger.

Which one do you think is more dangerous?

-This one.

-This one?

Very good. Everyone says the tiger.

'And she's right.

'More people are killed each year by bears than by tigers.

'Let's get this in perspective, though.

'Thousands more are killed on roads than by either of these animals.

'But I don't care about cars and tigers are for another day.

'I'm heading to a sanctuary to show you why the sloth bear

'deserves its place on the Deadly 60.

'First, I want to show you why all the bears we're about to see

'aren't out in the wild where they should be.

'Many bear cubs were taken from their mothers and forced to dance.

'People watching would pay to see this.

'A rope is threaded through their nose to keep them under control.

'Their claws and teeth are removed.'

'Thankfully, this practice is now illegal.

'Every bear in this sanctuary is a rescued dancing bear

'living in retirement in natural enclosures

'with plenty to keep them entertained.

'While the bears are in another part,

'I hide their favourite food

'to show you what makes the sloth bear so deadly.'

That should be a good bear challenge.

'This isn't for our benefit.

'After a life in chains, this gives them a chance to act like wild bears.'

These logs have got holes in them,

which I'm filling up with honey and bits of dates.

Let's get out before the bears come back.

'We retreat safely behind the fence to watch proceedings.

'It's hard to believe that these fluffy bears

'can be more deadly than a tiger.'

The bears have come tearing over.

They can sniff the food a mile away!

Oh, my life! Look at those claws!

That is some serious weaponry.

This one here's digging, using those long claws.

Those would be, in the wild, used mostly for digging termite mounds,

digging up bees, sucking up the honey, like they're doing now.

'The sloth bear's strength and claws may be perfect for finding honey,

'but there's no denying their deadly potential.'

THE BEARS START HOWLING

Oh, my life!

It's gone absolutely mad!

They've gone from gentle teddy bears

to a whirling mess of teeth and...

I'm glad I'm not in there.

This is why sloth bears can be so dangerous.

They can turn in an instant.

They are utterly unpredictable.

When they do, they're strong. They're powerful.

They've got awe-inspiring claws.

I really wouldn't want to be around one when it got angry.

That fight broke out over a piece of watermelon.

They will fight teeth and claw to defend their food and their young.

They'll even repel leopards and tigers.

They rely on their sense of smell to find termites and honey.

Their eyesight is terrible, so they're easily surprised.

Their first instinct is to lash out, and people can be in real trouble.

It's one thing to see them behind an electric fence,

but to really understand sloth bears, you need to get face-to-face.

What do you think, Johnny? Are you looking forward to going in?

No? I'm not surprised, mate.

How about you go in and I'll stay out here?

STEVE LAUGHS

'Kartik, who runs the sanctuary,

'assures me that as long as I don't surprise them, I'll be fine.

'I'm not going to let these bears out of my sight.'

Ilya, you watch him from behind.

One of the bears is taking an interest in the cameraman.

Snuffling away at your boot, Johnny.

'Having seen what they're capable of, I'm feeling a bit nervous.'

They're slowly getting used to us. A bit alarmed at us to begin with.

On his back legs, he can stand at least as tall as I am.

Once he starts climbing,

he would absolutely rocket up a tree,

despite being a lot heavier than me.

They are wonderful animals.

I want to give him a great big hug,

although I'm slightly concerned that he might rip my head off.

Just spit in my face! Thank you, mate(!)

I'm going to give you some space.

'Awesome weaponry,

'phenomenal strength.

'Surprise one at your peril.

'Sloth bear is on the Deadly 60.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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