A rare and elusive bear — the Tibetan brown bear (Ursus arctos pruinosus) — has been sighted in Sikkim, making it the first confirmed record of the animal being sighted in India according to sources in the Sikkim forest and environment department.

In the last month, photos of the Tibetan brown bear were caught on trap cameras in the upper reaches of Mangan district in the northern part of Sikkim.

The trap cameras were installed by the department and WWF-India.

“It is a groundbreaking revelation and wildlife enthusiasts and conservationists are celebrating the discovery of the rare Tibetan Brown Bear in the pristine landscape of Sikkim. This awe-inspiring find not only marks a significant moment for biodiversity in the region, but also underscores the importance of preserving and protecting the state’s precious wildlife,” the department said in an official release on Sunday.

“The discovery adds a new subspecies to the mammal diversity of the country,” said a wildlife expert.

According to sources, over the past decades, foresters, interacting with the Dokpas or nomadic herders in the high-altitude areas of Tso-Lhamo plateau and Muguthang, heard incidents of a large unidentified animal stealing sugar and oil stored in the herders’ camps.

“Many surveys were conducted to find this elusive animal but they remained unsuccessful. Finally, there has been a breakthrough through an extensive camera trap exercise,” the source added.

The Tibetan brown bear is characterised by its yellowish scarf-like collar that broadens from the shoulders to the chest, very different from the more commonly found Himalayan black bear in appearance. An omnivore, it usually inhabits high-altitude alpine forests and meadows 4,000 metres and above from sea level.

The Tibetan brown bear — sometimes also called the Tibetan blue bear — is an endangered species in the Himalayan region according to the red data list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

So far, the animal had been sighted in some parts of Nepal, Bhutan and the Tibetan plateau.

“It is a Schedule I animal under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. It has been mentioned as a protected species on list of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species,” the expert said.

Earlier, the Sikkim department had come up with photos of the royal Bengal tiger and the gaur (Indian bison) which were clicked in higher altitudes of the Himalayan state. Those photos also set new records of a tiger being sighted at the highest point from sea level in India and gaur at the highest point across the world.