Spectacled Bear

Facts

IUCN VULNERABLE (VU)

Facts about this animal

The spectacled bear is a relatively small bear species. The total length ranges from 100-180 cm, the shoulder height from 60-80 cm and the weight from 70-140 kgs, with females being significantly smaller than males. The tail is very short, only about 7 cm. The head is characterized by a short light brown or buff muzzle, small ears and a white, cream or tan line over or around the eyes, which extends over the nose down to the chest.

Spectacled bears live in the high, humid forests of the Andes Mountains and in thorn forests along the South American coast. They are good climbers and often build a platform of broken branches in a tree and stands on it to reach fruit. Not only do they feed in trees, but they build nests in the branches for sleeping.

Spectacled bears do not hibernate. Their diet consists of fruit, cacti and other plants, and sometimes they feed on small animals.

Did you know?
that each spectacled bear can be individually recognized by its own distinctive set of distinct cream or whitish markings on its head, throat, and chest? The variability in these markings led some Peruvians to think two bear species lived in their country?one carnivorous and one vegetarian.

Factsheet
Class	MAMMALIA
Order	CARNIVORA
Suborder	FISSIPEDIA
Family	URSIDAE
Name (Scientific)	Tremarctos ornatus
Name (English)	Spectacled Bear
Name (French)	Ours à lunettes
Name (German)	Brillenbär
Name (Spanish)	Oso frontino, Oso anteojos
Local names	Ucumari, Isnache, Ocucu, Mashiramo
CITES Status	Appendix I
CMS Status	Not listed

Photo Copyright by
Tom Friedel

Distribution

Distribution
Range	Andes mountain range in South America
Habitat	Wide range of habitats and altitudes throughout the mountain range. They are found in cloud forests, high altitude grasslands and scrub desert.
Wild population	Approx. 5.000-30.000 (2003) (Red List IUCN 2011)
Zoo population	146 reported to ISIS (2005)

In the Zoo

How this animal should be transported

For air transport, Container Note 82 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.

Find this animal on ZooLex

Photo Copyright by
Nummymuffin

Why do zoos keep this animal

The spectacled bear is rated vulnerable and has a relatively small wild population. With a view of building up a viable reserve population, an International Studbook has been established already in 1996 under the WAZA umbrella, and coordinated conservation breeding programmes are operated at the regional level by AZA, EAZA and JAZA.

The spectacled bear is also a good ambassador species for its habitat, the Andean cloud forest. As keeping with other species, such as coati or monkey is possible, exhibits with a great educational value can be designed.

How this animal should be kept

Traditional bear enclosures are often quite inadequate, and transforming or replacing old enclosures requires a lot of space and major investments. Many zoos have therefore reduced the number of bear species kept, to provide more space and higher quality enclosures for just one or two species.

Existing enclosures of less than 100 m² should be given up as soon as possible. For two or three compatible non-breeding adults the enclosure should have a size of at least 300 m². For a breeding pair two enclosures of at least 300 m² each should be available.

Individual sleeping / cubbing dens of 6 m² are required. If the climatic conditions do not allow for giving the bears daily access to the outdoor enclosure all year round, the indoor space should be at least 12 m² per adult.

The spectacled bear is an excellent tree climber, as are most of the bear species.The enclosure should therefore be furnished with ample climbing opportunities and large hollow trees or other cavities to retreat. In larger enclosures, natural soil with grass cover is recommended. Older, small enclosures usually have a concrete floor which should at least in part be covered with a more suitable substrate such as bark chips.

Zoo-born bear cubs should not be hand-reared as a matter of routine. Failure of females to rear cubs usually occurs due to disturbance; every effort should be made to avoid the female being disturbed. If a cub is abandoned, or the mother has died, it should be considered on a case-by-case basis whether hand-rearing is the best option for the individual or whether euthanasia is a more humane.