The Sumer Rest House, located in the Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, is situated in a secluded place away from Sumer village. About 100m from the rest house there is a well, which provides water to the rest house and the two waterholes nearby. To pump water from the well there is an electric motor, with the switchboard and meter fixed in a small room over the platform of the well.

Except occasional visits by forest officers, the rest house remains unguarded owing to fear of sloth bears. In summer, water is found at four places in the vicinity. Sloth bears occasionally visit the rest house after quenching their thirst from the waterholes nearby.

Sometimes they also enter the rooms, possibly attracted by the food left behind by visitors. On several occasions, I have seen sloth bear scats in the veranda and in the kitchen.

On one occasion a sloth bear came to the waterhole near the well. After quenching its thirst it climbed onto the platform from where it apparently heard the humming sound of the meter. The bear possibly took it for the humming of honeybees for it broke open the door of the room and smashed the meter in search of honey. Instead of honey it received a severe jolt from the electric current. The bear howled repeatedly for several minutes and then ran away.

Published in Journal of Bombay Natural History Society:

Tehsin, R. H. (2000) Sloth Bear Melursus ursinus & Power Meter. J. Bom. Nat. Hist. Soc. 98(1): 98