This bear, which is native to the mountainous forests of South America, is named after the white rings around its eyes. It is also called the Andean bear on account of its habitat.

Distribution area and habitat

The spectacled bear is the last of the short-faced bears. Its habitat is the rainforest of the Andes in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile where it lives at heights of up to 3,500 meters and over.

Appearance, height and weight

The shaggy looking bear has thick, dark fur with a light marking reaching from its face to its chest. The “spectacles” around the bears’ eyes can vary greatly. Some animals’ faces are simply black without any other colouring.

Spectacled bears only reach a shoulder height of 70-80 centimetres, making them the smallest “real bears” in existence today. The females weigh up to 65 kilograms, the males up to 200.

Diet

These bears, which are active during the day and at twilight, have a primarily vegetarian diet. They feed on figs, laurels, young leaves, the shoots of palm trees, seeds and herbs. Puyas, a kind of bromelia, are their favourite food. The prickly plant blooms only once, producing abundant sugar when it does so and making it a special delicacy for the Andean bears.

Way of life

The solitary spectacled bear is an excellent climber. It spends a lot of time in the tops of trees, sleeping in hollows or nests which it builds itself. Otherwise, these mountain climbers amongst the great bears wander between the cloud forests and highland areas. An Andean bear is once alleged to have climbed from a height of around 250 meters to over 3,300 meters in 24 hours – a difference in altitude for which a human well-trained in mountain climbing would need around five days.

Unlike most other species of great bear, spectacled bears do not seem to hibernate in winter.

Social behaviour and reproduction

The principle mating season for the spectacled bear lasts from April to June. After a gestation period of 240 to 255 days, the she-bear usually gives birth to two cubs. The young bears, which are initially tiny and blind, remain within their mother’s care for approximately a year.

Status

Hunting and a loss of habitat – primarily due to the clearing of mountain forests - are endangering the spectacled bear which was revered by the Incas as a divine being. According to WWF estimates, only a few thousand remain.