Andean Bear Day

Photo Credit: Kayla Arnold

By: Aimee Turcotte
Andean Bears, also known as Spectacled Bears, are the only bears that are native to the forests and grasslands of the Andes Mountains in South America. These bears can be found at high elevations, 6,000 to 8,000 feet above sea level. Andean Bears are arboreal and have been seen making leafy platforms in the tree canopy. The platforms are the perfect place for these bears to take a midday nap or to enjoy a nice meal. At Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo (CBZ), our Andean Bears have wooden platforms and hammocks where they have been seen resting on gorgeous sunny days! The wooden platforms are supported by tall tree branches, which our Andean Bears love climbing!

​Andean Bears are primarily herbivorous, feeding on berries, bulbs, and grasses. However, these bears can occasionally eat meat such as rabbits and birds. The Andean Bears at the Zoo are fed mixed produce (grapes, apples, pears, watermelons, mangos, etc.), peanut butter, honey, beef bones, a small rack of ribs, and Wild Carnivore Bear Diet.

---

Although bears are known for hibernating in dens, Andean Bears have year-round access to food, making it unnecessary for them to hibernate. Andean Bears create maternal dens, which are specifically for raising one to three cubs until they are a little over one year old. The Zoo’s Andean Bear inside habitat has maternity and cubbing den areas.
​
Currently, CBZ has three bears: Cayambe, Nicole, and Nuna. Cayambe is the oldest, 23 years old. She arrived at the Zoo in 2022 from the Cleveland Metro Park Zoo in Ohio. Nuna, our 4-year-old bear, has been living at the Zoo since 2023. She is the daughter of Nicole, our 13-year-old bear, who arrived at CBZ about one month ago. Nuna and Nicole are from the Queens Zoo in New York.

https://www.beardsleyzoo.org/andean-bear.html
https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/andean-bear
​https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/andean-spectacled-bear