At the top of Bear Canyon at the San Diego Zoo, just above the two Transvaal lionesses (see blog, Golden Girls in Their Golden Years), live Tommy and Houdini, our two Andean bears. Depending on whom you talk to, these bears might also be called spectacled bears, osos andino, ucumaris, or one of several other names. I’ve been surprised that there are so many names for one species of bear!

Andean bears are the only species of bear native to South America, but their extinct relatives and ancestors once lived in North America. In fact, fossils of some of their kin, the short-faced bears, have been found just up the coast from San Diego, in Los Angeles. Although Andean bears are only medium sized when compared to the other bears living today, short-faced bears were the largest carnivores ever to walk on land.

By visiting the Zoo, by watching Panda Cam, or by reading other blogs (see Bear Awareness Days blogs), you probably already know that some bears spend a lot of time up in trees. For example, young giant pandas get themselves into such situations that you just have to wonder how they’re going to get down from there! What you may not know is that Andean bears may be the most arboreal of all bears. Not only do they feed on fruits and bromeliads at least 50 feet (15 meters) up in trees, but they also make “nests” out of broken limbs. Researchers aren’t sure exactly why they make these nests, but two of the main hypotheses are that they are used as platforms for feeding or for resting, as you might expect.

Andean bears are currently considered to be at “high risk of extinction in the wild in the medium-term future” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Because their populations are believed to be declining, South American researchers have conducted heroic research on Andean bears for years, trying to determine where they live and what habitats they use, and trying to estimate how many bears there are. However, because these bears typically live in forests, spend so much time in trees, and avoid humans, we still don’t know very much about them. In fact, until a few years ago when researchers were able to radiocollar two bears in Bolivia, we didn’t know whether they were primarily active during the day, during the night, or both. (It appears that they’re active during the day.)

Today we have many more questions about Andean bears than we have answers: Where do females give birth to their cubs? How much habitat does an Andean bear need? What kind of habitat is best for Andean bears? Is it males, or females, that move from where they’re born to settle somewhere else? All of these questions have implications for bear conservation, but right now we can only guess at the answers, based on what we know about American black bears and brown bears. To begin filling the gaps in our knowledge, researchers at the San Diego Zoo are starting a conservation and research program in southeast Peru. In this long-term program we plan to collaborate extensively with Peruvian institutions, biologists, and local communities.

Unfortunately, some of what we do know about Andean bears is not good news. The greatest threats to Andean bear conservation are habitat loss and habitat fragmentation, although poaching by humans is a problem in some areas. The bears were once found in a wide variety of South American forests but are now primarily restricted to forests at higher elevations, much as the giant panda is now restricted to higher elevation bamboo forests in China. Andean forests are being logged for timber or for conversion to agricultural fields, often by local people who see these activities as their best economic options. In addition, like American black bears, Andean bears sometimes come into conflict with farmers when they raid fields of corn and other crops. In fact, the first and only time I’ve been lucky enough to see a wild Andean bear was in a cornfield in the mountains of Ecuador. As you can tell from these threats to Andean bear conservation, their future depends not only on learning more about them, but also on ensuring that economic conditions favor bear conservation.

What can you do to make a difference? Most directly, if you travel to one of the five countries where Andean bears live (Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia), do not buy any souvenirs or products made with bear parts. It is illegal for people to kill Andean bears and to sell products made with bear parts. Besides, under international treaties it would probably be illegal for you to bring these products back to your home, wherever that may be. In addition, you should not support roadside zoos in these countries, but you should support rescue and rehabilitation centers that work with governmental natural resource agencies.

Does this mean that you can’t affect Andean bear conservation if you don’t travel in South America? No. Regardless of whether or not you travel to South America, you can support Andean bear conservation through four types of action. First, you can support conservation and research efforts focused specifically on Andean bears, either directly or through organizations such as the International Bear Association. Second, because the primary threats to Andean bear conservation are based on economic issues, you can support the bears by supporting efforts to develop sustainable economies in Andean bear country. Third, reduce your use of forest products, use recycled forest products wherever possible, and use products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Finally, because global climate change threatens the stability of ecosystems everywhere, take steps to reduce your energy use. Each of these actions would also benefit the conservation of other bear species, and other forest-dwelling species, so your efforts on behalf of Andean bears would produce broader conservation benefits.

The next time you’re at the top of Bear Canyon, enjoy a nice long look at our Andean bears. You’re gazing at an enigmatic, elusive mystery, and you’re getting a much better view than you would in the forests of South America!

Russ Van Horn is a senior researcher in the San Diego Zoo’s Applied Animal Ecology Division.

Listen to an iZoofari Chat with Russ”¦
Listen to an iZoofari Chat with an Andean bear keeper…
Read other Bear Awareness Days blogs from bear keepers and researchers”¦
Listen to other iZoofari Chats about bears…

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