Sloth Adalh 5 Tahun Kedepan

Challenges and threats

Both sloth bears and sloths have their own unique set of challenges in the wild. Sloth bears, for example, face deforestation and habitat loss. Forests are cleared for agriculture and urban settlements, resulting in sloth bears losing their home and food sources. Poachers are also an issue since sloth bears’ claws and gallbladders are sold illegally in the wildlife trade business since they are highly valued for medicine and ornamental purposes.

Sloths, both two-fingered and three-fingered, face similar challenges. In the tropical rainforests of Central and South America, rainforests are cut down for logging and converted into farmland and pastures; sloths lose both their homes and food supplies.

Both sloth bears and sloths are grappling with the impacts of human activities that threaten their survival. While each species faces unique challenges based on where and how they live, there is a common thread: most of the hurdles they encounter in the wild can be traced back to human actions.

How Slothy are Sloth Bears?

Sloth bears adapt their sleep cycle to their environment, which may be a nocturnal, diurnal, or crepuscular schedule depending on other bears, people, or predators in their habitat. Sloth bears may forage for food at night and sleep during the day to avoid potential conflicts with humans. They typically sleep 10 to 14 hours a day and do not hibernate.

Sloths, contrary to popular belief, do not sleep more than the average 10 to 12 hours, and from our last published research, we know that their activity varies depending on the individual and even differs across the same population; some sloths are more diurnal, others nocturnal.

Sloth bears….and sloths and bears

Sloth bears got their name in 1791 by English zoologist George Shaw, who encountered the bear and believed the species was related to actual sloths since they shared similar traits, naming them “bear sloths”. Shaw named them Bradypus ursinus, which means something like ‘slow feet bear,’ using the family name of three-fingered sloths, the Genus Bradypus.

The sloth bear goes by many different names throughout the region depending on the language, and once Europeans got involved, the name changed once again. Confusion over whether the bear is a bear or a sloth made it challenging for scientists to classify it under the Latin-based binomial naming system. Once it was indeed determined that it was a bear, they changed the Genus but kept the common name, so “bear sloth” changed to “sloth bear.”

The modern scientific name of the sloth bear, Melursus ursinus, combines Greek and Latin elements. “Melursus” is derived from the Greek “melas” (meaning “black”) and the Latin “ursus” (meaning “bear”), referring to the bear’s dark fur. The specific name “ursinus,” from Latin, translates to “bear-like.”

To add more confusion to the subject, the most common name for sloths in Latin America is ‘oso perezoso’, which means, as you might guess, sloth bear.

What is a sloth bear?

A Sloth bear is a type of bear species native to India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan. Known for its long snout and long lower lip used for sucking up insects, it’s officially named Melursus ursinus. Despite the name referring to them as ‘lazy’, sloth bears are anything but lazy!

These bears have a distinctive shaggy black coat with a whitish-yellow ‘U’ or ‘Y’ shaped mark on their chest. And although they share a resemblance, sloth bears should not be confused with the Asian Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus)

Are sloth bears related to sloths?

Contrary to their name, sloth bears and sloths are not closely related, and both belong to entirely different taxonomic orders and families with unique evolutionary histories. For example, sloth bears belong to the order Carnivora, which includes mammals such as dogs, cats, seals, and bears. Within this order, they are also under Ursidae or Bear family.

The name “sloth bear” comes from the bear’s slow-moving behavior and long claws, like a sloth, which led early zoologists and taxonomists to draw parallels between them. However, this similarity is due to convergent evolution, where unrelated species independently develop similar traits in response to similar environments.

Despite these surface resemblances, sloth bears and sloths are genetically and taxonomically distant as well as having strikingly different evolutionary paths.

Sloths, unlike sloth bears, belong to the order Pilosa, sharing it with anteaters and armadillos. Over millions of years, sloths have adapted to a slow-paced arboreal lifestyle, developing features like long arms, curved claws, and a slow metabolism to thrive in treetop habitats where they perform various activities, including eating, sleeping, mating, and giving birth.

Medan | METRO ONE NEWS – Dewan Pimpinan Wilayah Ikatan Media Online (IMO) Provinsi Sumatera Utara masa bhakti 2023-2028 yang komandoi HA. Nuar Erde, Kamis 07 Desember 2023 resmi dilantik Ketua Umum Dewan Pimpinan Pusat Ikatan Media Online Indonesia (DPP IMO) Yakub Ismail, S.E,. M.M di di Aula Raja Inal Siregar, Kantor Gubernur Sumatera Utara, Jalan P. Diponegoro No.30 Medan,

Dalam sambutan dan arahannya Ketua Umum DPP IMO Indonesia, Yakub Ismail meminta jurnalis yang tergabung di DPW IMO Sumut tetap solid, dan bersinergis dengan pemerintah, termasuk Pemprovsu, serta ikut menyukseskan pemilihan umum (Pemilu) tahun 2024.

“Kita menaruh harapan besar kepada insan media, termasuk DPW IMO Sumut dan seluruh jajaran untuk solid, bersinergis, terutama untuk ikut mensukseskan Pemilu tahun 2024,” kata Yakub Ismail.

Lebih lanjut Yakub menambahkan, peran serta dari seluruh kalangan media semakin dibutuhkan menghadapi tantangan zaman yang semakin terbuka dan teknologi yang canggih.

Sejak dideklarasikan tanggal 27 Oktober 2017 di Jakarta, IMO telah memperluas kiprah ikatan ini ke provinsi, kabupaten, dan kota untuk menyesuaikan diri dengan perubahan itu.

“Termasuk DPW IMO Sumut yang saya lantik harus bergerak cepat melakukan langkah memperkuat kemampuan, berupa sumber daya manusia, sinergitas dan berkordinasi, lebih-lebih kita akan menghadapi tahun politik, yakni Pemilu 2024,” kata Yakub.

Sementara itu, Pj Gubsu Hassanudin dalam sambutan yang dibacakan Kadis Kominfo Ilyas Sitorus mengapresiasi kehadiran dan pelantikan DPW IMO Sumut.

Pj Gubsu berharap pers semakin dewasa menghadapi dinamika dan perubahan yang terjadi, dan terus memberikan pemikiran yang konstruktif untuk bersama mengawasi, dan mengkritisi jalannya pembangunan di provinsi ini.

“Kita juga berharap insan pers ikut berperan aktif menyukseskan pemilu dengan melakukan kontrol sosial, terutama menangkal berita-berita miring atau hoax,” kata Ilyas.

HA Nuar Erde selaku Ketua DPW IMO Indonesia Sumut terpilih dalam sambutan berjanji akan menyikapi keinginan untuk ikut menyukseskan pemilu agar berjalan jujur, adil, transparan.

“Pelantikan ini merupakan tindak lanjut atas terpilihnya saya sebagai Ketua Ikatan Media Online (IMO) Indonesia Sumatera Utara (Sumut) secara aklamasi dalam Musyawarah Wilayah ke II yang digelar di Hotel Madani, Jalan Sisingamangaraja Medan, Rabu (30/08/23) lalu,” ungkap Nuar.

Kemudian lanjutnya, sebanyak 5 orang tim formatur langsung ditunjuk untuk penyusunan pengurus periode 2023-2028.

“Sebagai Ketua terpilih, saya langsung membentuk Tim Formatur bersama Harun Alrasyid, Fajar Trihatya, Yuni Piliang dan Safrul Daulay,” paparnya.

“DPW IWO Sumut sebagai wadah tempat berhimpunnya para jurnalis, kedepan saya berharap organisasi ini bisa melahirkan insan jurnalis yang profesional,” harap A. Nuar Erde yang juga pemimpin umum dan pemimpin redaksi penasumut.online.

Acara prosesi pelantikan diawali dengan Pembacaan Surat Keputusan DPP IMO Indonesia, dilanjutkan penandatanganan Naskah Pelantikan oleh Ketua DPP IMO Sumut dan penyerahan Pataka IMO Indonesia oleh Ketua Umum DPP IMO kepada Ketua DPW IMO Sumut. Acara diakhiri dengan ucapan selamat, doa dan hiburan.

Hadir dalam acara itu, Pj Gubsu diwakili Kepala Dinas kominfo Sumut Ilyas Sitorus, dan jajaran, Dirut Perumda Tirtanadi Kabir Bedi, mewakili kedatukan, tokoh masyarakat yang juga pengusaha media Handoko, dan Ketua STIK-P Medan, yang juga Ketua MPO MPW Pemuda Pancasila Sumut DR H Sakhyan Asmara MSP.

Berikut Susunan Kepengurusan Masa Bakti 2023-2028, Ketua H. A. Nuar Erde (Penasumut.online), Wakil Ketua Drs. Harun Al Rasyid (BBISiber.com), Wakil Ketua Amir Syam, SPdI (Skalanews.com), Wakil Ketua Roy Syamsul Gultom (Motivindonews.com), Wakil Ketua Herlan Panggabean,SH (Multiproaktif.com), Wakil Ketua Ratno Maretno, SH, MM. (Radarindo.co.id), Wakil Ketua : H. Harist Lubis, SE (Oxomedia.co.id).

Kemudian Sekretaris Fajar Trihatya, SE. (Metroekspress,com), Wakil Sekretaris Muhammad Isya, SSos, Mikom (Pilarempat.com), Wakil Sekretaris Andi Saprin Purba,S.Sos. (Medanoke.com), Wakil Sekretaris Firman Kurniawan (Navigasiparlemen.id), Wakil Sekretaris Sabahudin Daulay, SE, SH, MH. (Lensabidik.com), Wakil Sekretaris : M. Yamin, MAP (Infonasionalnews.com), Wakil Sekretaris Relikhius Harefa Bsc (Mediasumut24.com)

Bendahara Yuni Delfiani Piliang, Amd, SH. (Beritasore.com), Wakil Bendahara Jasrial Husin (Bimnews24.com), Wakil Bendahara Erniyati Piliang, SE (Kilasberita.com)

Selanjut biro-biro adalah, Hukum dan Advokasi: Tuah Armadi Tarigan (Opungnews,com), Drs. Alisandre Gulo (Atensinews.com), Supardi (Suaraperjuangan.id), Saiful Bahri (Kabarberanda,com)

Biro Pengembangan Usaha: Rusli,SE (Adaberita24.com), Sri Sundari (Sergap.com), Alpindo (Swarahatirakyat.com), Bambang Sugiarto, ST (Portalswara.com)

Biro Pendataan dan Verifikasi: Sarwo Edi (Mimbarrakyat.co.id), Irpansyah (Jayapos.com), Sotarduga Simanjuntak (Rakyatmadani.id), Tison Sembiring (Mawartanews.com),

Biro Pembinaan Anggota: Rizal Syam, SE (Mediatipikor.com), Lukman Syafaruddin Harun (Perjuanganonline.com), Roni Zulardi (Proakses.com), Tengku Syahdan (Pewarta.co.id)

Biro Pengembangan Organisasi: Masri Effendi Siregar, SPd (Metroonenews.id), Ridwan Naibaho (Mediapamornews.com), Soni Muhammad Nur (Nagapos.id), Asroel Haroen Lubis (Infonasionalnews.com)

Biro Hubungan Antar Lembaga: Jalaluddin Lase (Medanposonline.com), Selamat Purba (Nagapos.id), Aswani Hafit (Detikpublik.my.id), Roy Anggit Wilson (Medanekspos.com)

Metabolisme Rendah

Sloth bisa mencerna makanannya yang hanya sehelai daun selama 30 hari. Sloth memiliki tingkat metabolisme yang lemah dibandingkan mamalia lainnya. Perut yang terdapat empat bilik sudah penuh secara permanen, yang bahkan bisa mencapai 30 persen massa tubuh mereka.

Sloth bones and claws

All four species of ground sloth had very large claws and small, blunt teeth. They all were herbivores and probably used the teeth for browsing on trees and shrubs. The shape of their hip bones indicates that they could stand up on their hind legs. This would allow them to reach high up into trees for the best leaves and twigs.

The bone on the left is the finger bone (phalanx) that supports the claw on the thumb of a Jefferson's ground sloth. The specimen on the right is a tooth, also from a Jefferson's ground sloth.

Both of these specimens were recovered from Heinze Cave, Jefferson County, Missouri. Radiocarbon dating indicates that both specimens are more than 40,000 years old.

All four species of ground sloth became extinct in North America approximately 10,000 years ago. The reason for their extinction is being studied by paleontologists.

Sloth Ranges, Then and Now

This map shows some of the important ground sloth finds in the region. Green dots represent Jefferson's ground sloth finds, and yellow triangles represent Harlan's ground sloth finds.

More information on Ground Sloths can be found at the La Brea Tarpits Web site, and at the Academy of Natural Sciences Museum.

Sloth banyak ditemukan di hutan tropis dataran rendah Amerika Selatan dan Amerika Tengah. (Foto: Sloth Conservation)

- Sloth dikenal sebagai hewan termalas di dunia namun jago berenang. Satwa ini termasuk subordo Folivora alias mamalia penghuni pohon yang terkenal karena gerakannya lambat.

Sloth banyak ditemukan di hutan tropis dataran rendah Amerika Selatan dan Amerika Tengah. Ciri-cirinya memiliki kaki panjang, ekor kekar, kepala bulat, dan telinga yang tidak mencolok. Sloth mempunyai penglihatan dan pendengaran yang begitu jelas. Sloth lebih berorientasi pada sentuhan.

Hewan ini memiliki berat sekitar 3,6 - 7,7 kilogram dengan tinggi 0,6 - 0,8 meter tergantung spesiesnya.

Conservation Status of Sloths and Sloth Bears

IUCN is the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Under their Red List of Threatened Species, sloth bears are listed as vulnerable as of 2016 during their last assessment. Their population is decreasing, with an estimated of fewer than 20,000 individuals spread across the Indian subcontinent.

Some sloth species are in a similar situation; IUCN has the Maned Sloth listed as vulnerable with the population decreasing. Pygmy Sloths are listed as critically endangered, with a population size of around 2,000-2,500 individuals.

The Brown-Throated Sloth is listed as Least Concern, though there is evidence indicating the population is decreasing as well; for this reason, it is urgent to determine the species’ population trends.