The Spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus) lives in South America from Venezuela to Peru and is relatively small in comparison to other bears. It has a distinctive marking across its face. They do not hibernate and are most active during the night and in the twilight. They are the second most threatened species of bear in the world, after the giant panda. Their diet includes cacti, tree shrubs, berries, honey, sugarcane, and even tree bark. The Spectacled Bear is the largest carnivore of South America and is believed to descent from the prehistoric Bulldog Bear.
Which zoos have them?Artis (Netherlands), Brookfield Zoo (United States), Saint Louis Zoological Park (United States) and Smithsonian National Zoological Park (United States)
The Andean bear, spectacled bear is listed as Vulnerable (VU), considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild, on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Namings for the spectacled bearA young / baby of a spectacled bear is called a 'cub'. The females are called 'sow' and males 'boar'. A spectacled bear group is called a 'sleuth or sloth'.
Spectacled bear habitatsForest, Grassland, Subtropical / Tropical Dry Grassland and Subtropical / Tropical Moist Lowland