Spatial modelling of Sloth Bear Melursus ursinus (Shaw, 1791) (Mammalia Ursidae) habitat in Bamni Forested Watershed of Central India

Habitat suitability modelling is crucial for evidence-based wildlife conservation, especially for vulnerable species like the sloth bears Melursus ursinus (Shaw, 1791) (Mammalia Ursidae). This study assessed the habitat suitability of sloth bears in the Bamni forested watershed of Central India, a region recognized as a stronghold for the species, using Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) algorithm. The sloth bear occurrence data for this research was collected between November 2023 and May 2025, with 12 uncorrelated environmental variables, including bioclimatic, topographic, land cover, and anthropogenic factors. The model achieved a robust average Area under the Curve (AUC) of 0.870, indicating a fair level of accuracy in distinguishing suitable habitats. The Human Influence Index (HII) was the most significant predictor, contributing 24.1% to the model, highlighting the substantial negative impact of anthropogenic pressures on sloth bear distribution. Land Use Land Cover (LULC) was the second most important variable at 19.5%, underscoring the species’ reliance on undisturbed forested landscapes. Topographic variables such as aspect (12.9%), elevation (9.7%), and slope (7.3%) also played significant roles, influencing microhabitats for foraging and denning. Distance to roads (6.4%) and water bodies (6.0%) moderately influenced habitat suitability. Although bioclimatic variables had lower individual contributions. The Jackknife test revealed elevation as the most informative variable when used in isolation. The results provide spatially explicit insights to guide site-specific conservation and landscape-level planning, prioritizing the reduction of human disturbance, maintenance of forest connectivity, and protection of water resources.