Zoo Bears

Zoo bears have their place in the conservation of the Andean bear. While some bear biologists and conservationists are working to understand the ecology of the Andean bear in the wild and preserve its habitat, zoos are working to maintain a healthy, genetically diverse population of Andean bears as a back-up plan, as well as educating the public about bears. The study of spectacled bears in zoos provides information about behavior, reproduction and other aspects of bear life that are difficult to study in the wild. In turn, information from studies of wild bears helps inform the design of living spaces and enrichment activities for captive bears in zoos and wildlife parks.

An Andean bear in the wild is a sight that only a few people are lucky enough to see. Fortunately, there are zoo bear exhibits and wildlife sanctuaries around the world where you can see an Andean bear in captivity. Some even have Andean bear cubs born in captivity.

A good zoo will give its captive bears plenty of space with vegetation, things to climb on and lots of behavioral enrichment - things to do, find, play with, discover or take apart. Andean bears like water, so a pool helps to keep them healthy and happy in a zoo environment.

Zoos with Andean (spectacled) bears:

Latin America

Quito Zoo in Ecuador has two male Andean bears on display. Also in Ecuador, you can see Andean bears at Loja Zoo and Baños Zoo.

USA

The National Zoo in Washington has 4 Andean bears and has bred cubs including Bernardo and Chaska, who were born in January 2010. Photos of the cubs (to the right) are thanks to Tracey Barnes and Jen Lockridge.

Phoenix Zoo, Arizona, do great behavioral enrichment for their 2 Andean bears, as you can see in the photo by Jim Hughes of a bear playing with a pumpkin, and the photo by Jeremy Barlow of an Andean bear with a giant fruit ice lolly. One of the bears even paints!

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Colorado Springs, CO, has a male spectacled bear

Houston Zoo has a pair of Andean bears.

Tulsa Zoo, Oklahoma, is home to 2 female Andean bears and one male.

Buffalo Zoo has three spectacled bears.

Nebraska's Henry Doorly Zoo, Omaha, has Andean bears on temporary loan until around the end of 2010.

Cincinnatti Zoo, Ohio, has one male Andean bear

Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, has two male Andean bears

St. Louis Zoo participates in the Species Survival Plan and has a pair of spectacled bears.

Salisbury Zoo, Maryland, is home to Poopsie, the oldest Andean bear in the United States - she was born in December 1973. The photo of Poopsie is thanks to Jen Lockridge.

The Good Zoo in West Virginia is the home of Pepino (male) and Nieve (female, in the photo to the right by Jen Lockridge).

Pittsburgh Zoo, Pennsylvania, has a male Andean bear

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Ohio, has a female spectacled bear

San Francisco Zoo, California, has a pair of Andean bears

Baton Rouge Zoo, Louisiana, has two male spectacled bears

Beardsley Zoo, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, has a pair of Andean bears

Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas, has three Andean bears

El Paso Zoo in Texas has a pair of Andean bears

Oklahoma City Zoo has one male spectacled bear

Philadelphia Zoo has a pair of spectacled bears

Racine Zoo, Wisconsin, is home to a pair of Andean bears

Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure in Kansas has a pair of spectacled bears

San Diego Zoo in California has a pair of Andean bears

Rosamond Gifford Zoo, Syracuse, NY, has two male Andean bears

Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, Arizona, is home to a pair of spectacled bears

Europe

Chester Zoo in the UK have kindly allowed to use the photo of their Andean bears (top right), which appears here courtesy of Stuart Robinson and Chester Zoo.

South Lakes Wild Animal Park in Cumbria, in the UK, has four young female Andean bears as part of the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme.

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Jersey, the Channel Islands, have successfully bred Andean bears

Belfast Zoo, Northern Ireland

Doué La Fontaine in the west of France has Andean bears, as do Hermival les Vaux (CERZA Lisieux), Lyon (Zoo) Maubeuge (Zoo), Pont-Scorff (Zoo) and Thoiry (Safari).

In Germany, you can see Andean or spectacled bears at Aschersleben (Zoo), Berlin (Tierpark Friedrichsfelde), Dortmund (Zoo), Leipzig (Zoo), Nürnberg (Tiergarten) and Stuttgart.

ZOO Antwerpen in Belgium

Zoo Vienna, in Austria, is home to Blacky and Juan. You can see them in Jolantha Belik's video of Andean bears at Zoo Vienna.

Tierwelt Herberstein, in Styria, Austria, is home to Andean bear Liesl.

Moscow Zoo in Russia, Wroclaw Zoo in Poland, Zurich Zoo in Switzerland and Madrid Zoo in Spain are also listed as having spectacled bears on display.

This list of zoo bear exhibits is not exhuastive, and the zoos, wildlife parks and sanctuaries listed here are not connected with the Andean Bear Foundation. We take no responsibility for the living conditions or care of the zoo bears in these establishments.

Andean Bear Conservation Project: Zoo Bears
A list of some places where you can see a captive Andean bear or bear cub in a zoo or wildlife sanctuary.

Andean bear in Chester Zoo

Spectacled bear at Quito Zoo

Andean bear cub in National Zoo

National Zoo bears

Andean bear at Phoenix Zoo playing with pumpkins

Andean bear with fruit ice "lolly"

Poopsie, the oldest spectacled bear in the USA

Female Andean bear at The Good Zoo