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Andean bear
Tremarctos ornatus
Andean bears are also known as spectacled bears due to the light coloured markings around their eyes.
They are one of the smallest species of bears and are the only ones to hail from South America, where they live mainly in mountain forests.
Andean bears are believed to possess magical and medicinal properties. For example, their gall bladders are said to provide an ancient Andean cure for blindness and cataracts.
Their gall bladders are also used to make snake oil, an aphrodisiac which is popular in south-east Asia.
Diet
Andean bears eat fruit, berries, honey, bark and small birds or rodents.
Size
The average bear is up to 1.9 metres long and weighs up to 155 kilograms.
Location
Andean bears are found on the slopes of the Andes mountains, stretching from Venezuela to Peru.
EEP = European Endangered Species Programme
CITES = Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
IUCN = International Union for Conservation of Nature
ESB = European Studbook
Conservation status
The IUCN believes the bears are facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
They are listed under Appendix II of CITES.
Threats
Andean bears are under threat due to habitat destruction and fragmentation caused by agricultural growth.
They are also hunted as food and for their medicinal properties.
Current population
Experts believe there are less than 2,000 Andean bears left in the wild.
Zoo population
There is an EEP for Andean bears.
There are around 150 bears living in zoos around the world.
