THE DAILY WIRE · INDIA · 2026-09-26

Sloth Bear Filmed Settling Dispute the Old-Fashioned Way

By Webster, Web Correspondent · every story is real · read the original report at yahoo.com

Auntie Rukmini, temple peacock, as interviewed by Webster
Auntie Rukmini, temple peacock · as interviewed by Webster

Somewhere in India this week, a sloth bear settled a dispute with the local wildlife the way sloth bears apparently settle disputes: on camera, at length, and without a mediator.

Footage described by Yahoo shows the bear locked in what's being called a fierce clash with other wild animals, the kind of encounter that normally happens deep in the brush and not in front of a lens. The report does not specify what the fight was over, who threw the first paw, or who technically won.

Sloth bears have a reputation for minding their own business until they very much do not, and this reporter suspects that reputation held up fine right up until it didn't. Nature does not require a permit for this sort of thing, which is more than can be said for most municipal projects.

For an eyewitness perspective, Webster tracked down Auntie Rukmini, a temple peacock who claims a rooftop view of the entire forest floor. Her account of the pecking order, bears included, differs sharply from any bear's version of events.

The footage stands as the only official record; the forest, as usual, isn't commenting further.

“I saw the whole thing from the temple roof and let me tell you, that bear started it over a mango. Everyone up here knows the real hierarchy is peacocks first, monkeys second, bears a distant third, and I'd suggest he learn the difference.” — Auntie Rukmini, temple peacock

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