Spectacled Bears
Spectacled bears gained
their popular
name for the markings around the eyes which often look like eyeglasses.
However, not all spectacled bears have these markings.
Some
have very faint markings, perhaps only on one side of the face, and
some have plain black faces with no spectacle markings at all.
The face markings, which can extend down onto the chest, are
individual to each bear and remain recognisable as they grow from cubs
into adults.
Most scientists refer to
spectacled
bears as Andean bears (they are found only in the Andes mountains in
South
America). The latin name for the spectacled bear is Tremarctos ornatus.
The bears are an endangered species, listed as
Vulnerable, and it is illegal to kill them. There
are
believed to be no more than about
20,000 spectacled bears left in the wild, based on genetic studies, but
no-one has yet done a study to count them.
The most famous
spectacled bear is probably Paddington, of the children's books, who
came from "deepest, darkest Peru". Since spectacled bears are
the only bear species found in Latin America, Paddington must therefore
be a spectacled bear, and of course he does wear glasses.
Scientific research into the bears has not so far found any indication
of a taste for marmalade sandwiches...
Many people seem to think
the bears are known as "speckled bears", probably due to mishearing.
In fact, there is no such species and the spectacled bears do
not have speckles - they are plain black or dark brown, apart from
their face and chest markings.
Spectacled bears are one
of the lesser-known of the eight bear species. Take a look
through the rest of this site to find more spectacled bear information,
including bear pictures, conservation,
scientific papers published
about the bears and how you can volunteer on
a spectacled bear research
project. Meet Bubu, an
orphaned spectacled bear cub who will be released back to the
wild after rehabilitation.
Check our list of zoos with
spectacled bears to find where you can see one for yourself!
Andean
Bear Conservation Project: Spectacled Bears
The spectacled bear, Tremarctos
ornatus, is so called for the markings around its eyes,
but also known as the Andean bear
