Sloth bears shape India's dry forests as seed dispersers, study finds

Researchers surveying 180 sloth bear droppings in Rajasthan's Aravalli range found that bears disperse viable seeds across six plant species and shift their diet seasonally from plant-dominated in winter to animal-dominated in summer, with seeds from bear droppings sometimes germinating faster than those collected directly from fruits.

Bears also dispersed seeds of Lantana camara, an invasive species, though germination rates were low (3 of 25 seeds).