Spectacled Bear

Common Name: Spectacled bear; Andean bear; Ours Andin; Ours à lunettes (Fr); Oso frontino (Sp)

Scientific Name: Tremarctos ornatus
Habitat: Preferred habitats include cloud forests (also known as Andean forest) and high Andean moorland called 'páramo'.
Location: South America - Andes
Population: Unknown

Background

© WWF-Canon / Edward PARKER

The spectacled bear is the only species of bear in South America and one of the most emblematic mammals of the tropical Andes. Persecution and habitat loss have contributed to a reduction of its population and probably are leading to inbreeding in some areas, raising concerns about the long-term survival of the species. Although this bear is distributed over a large area, its presence is patchy within this range.

WWF led the participatory development of an ecoregional conservation strategy for the species in the Northern Andes, with the support of other international organizations and local NGOs from Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. The strategy is being adopted by an increasing number of partners in these four countries and is helping to develop action plans at the local level.

WWF-Colombia is currently working with governmental and non-governmental partners to implement priority actions, including finding solutions to conflicts between wild bears and farmers, developing a communication campaign and identifying priority sites for bear conservation in Colombia. In Venezuela, WWF's associate organization FUDENA is leading the development of a national action plan based on the ecoregional conservation strategy.

Physical Description

Spectacled bears are robust, with a short and muscular neck, short but strong legs, each with five toes armed with curved claws up to two inches in length. As with all bears, spectacled bears walk on the soles of their feet (they are referred to as plantigrades) and have longer front than rear legs, making them excellent climbers.

Their head is rounded and compared to other bears, these animals have smaller snouts, leading to their classification as "short-faced bears" in the subfamily Tremarctinae. The spectacled bear is the only surviving member of this subfamily. The large molars and the development of the jaw muscles of the species favours its diet, largely vegetarian.

Size
Males are up to 50% larger than females, measuring between 1.5 and 2 m from head to tail and weighing between 140 and 175 kg. Female bears are approximately two thirds the size of the males. Adult females reach up to 1.5 m in length and 80 kg in weight.

Colour
Fur is usually black, although it can have dark red-brown tones on the upper-parts. Spectacled bears sometimes have white to pale yellow markings around the muzzle, on the neck and the chest. These markings may also be present around the eyes, which is characteristic of the species and the reason for its most common name. The markings vary from one individual to another and on many occasions are totally absent.

Habitat

Major habitat type
Preferred habitats include cloud forests (also known as Andean forest) and high Andean moorland called 'páramo'.

Biogeographic realm
Neotropical

Range States
Venezuela, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia

Geographical Location
South America - Andes

Ecological Region
Eastern Range montane forest, Venezuelan Andes montane forest, Northwestern Andes montane forest, Cauca Valley montane forest, Magdalena Valley montane forest, Eastern Cordillera Real montane forest, Venezuelan Andes páramo, Northern Andes páramo, Central Range páramo, Peruvian Yungas, Ucayali moist forest, Central Andean puna, Bolivia Yunga, Southwestern Amazonial moist forest, Bolivan montane dry forest, Central Andean wet puna, Southern Andean yungas.

Why is this species important?

Protecting bears confers advantages to all ecosystems within the species range. Protecting the habitat of the forest's largest animal automatically benefits the rest of the forest dwellers. For this reason, the spectacled bear is considered a flagship or umbrella species.

Its conservation also benefits the protection of important water sources, as areas inhabited by the species are critical areas for water production (areas where many rivers have their source). Furthermore, high altitude landscapes are also preserved, favouring ecotourism.

The spectacled bear acts as an important indicator for the state of the forests and the areas it inhabits. Studies are being carried out to ascertain whether the bear is creating new forested areas through seed dispersion.

Since the animal eats many fruits, it may be dispersing seeds as they pass out of its digestive system or as they fall off from its copious fur coat.

Interesting Facts

Many myths exist with regard to this species in all Andean regions and countries. One of these tells how a bear captured a beautiful village girl and took her deep into the forest. The bear hid her there, or in other versions, he put her on the crown of a tree and made her his wife.

She remained the bear's prisoner for a long, long time, during which she gave birth to a son who was half-man, half-bear. When he grew up, he realised that he was more human than bear and he rescued his mother by killing his father.