Glasses that differ
The cream markings are different on every bear, and some have hardly any.
The Andes
Spectacled bear
Tremarctos ornatus
A black bear with cream rings round its eyes, like a pair of glasses. It is South America's only bear.
- Size
- About 1.5 to 1.8m long
- Look for it
- All year round
- Where
- Cloud forest and high grassland of the Andes
Ambles after you, sniffing the air. Move your pointer and see.
When to look
Spectacled bear
Good to know
Six things about the spectacled bear
The only one
It is the only bear in South America, and the last of the short-faced bears.
Mostly a vegetarian
It eats mainly fruit, bamboo and the hearts of spiky bromeliad plants.
A tree climber
It climbs high into trees and builds platforms of bent branches to feed and rest on.
Paddington's cousin
Paddington Bear came from darkest Peru, so he must be a spectacled bear.
Shy and seldom seen
It avoids people, and is one of the least studied of all bears.
The real thing
Photos of the spectacled bear
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Photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under the free licences shown. They have been resized, and cropped where they appear in link previews.
How to spot one
The dry forests of northern Peru and the cloud forest of Ecuador give the best chance. Look for torn-up bromeliads and nests in trees.
How to help
Spectacled bears are vulnerable, as cloud forest is cleared for farms. Support projects that pay farmers to keep forest standing.
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