Spectacled Bear

The Spectacled Bear (Tremarctos ornatus) is the only bear species native to South America and the last surviving member of the short-faced bear subfamily Tremarctinae. Named for the pale, cream-colored markings around its eyes that extend onto its chest, its coat patterns are unique to each individual. It lives primarily in the Andean cloud forests between roughly 600 and 2,700 meters, though its range extends from dry coastal scrub to high-altitude páramo grasslands across the western spine of the continent. It is a largely solitary, mostly herbivorous animal, feeding on bromeliads, orchid bulbs, cacti, and fruit, and it plays a documented role as a seed disperser for numerous plant species across Andean forest zones.

The IUCN Red List classifies the Spectacled Bear as Vulnerable, with the global population estimated to be fewer than 18,000 individuals and believed to be declining. The principal threats are habitat loss driven by agricultural expansion, including cattle ranching and coca cultivation, alongside infrastructure development fragmenting Andean forest corridors. Persecution also remains a serious pressure: bears are killed in retaliatory attacks after raiding crops such as corn and sugarcane, and poaching for body parts persists in some areas. Its dependence on large, connected stretches of Andean forest makes it particularly sensitive to the ongoing fragmentation of that landscape.