Spectacled bear

Spectacled bears are faced with threats because their habitat in the Andes is increasingly being converted into pastureland and is being damaged by road construction and the building of gas pipelines.

The name ‘spectacled bear’ (also known as the Andean bear) derives from the distinctive colouring of its face, with light rings around the eyes. However, the ring is not always equally pronounced. Many animals do not have a complete ring and instead have completely different light-coloured patches of fur around their eyes. For field researchers and zoo visitors, this provides an excellent way of distinguishing between individual animals.

Spectacled bears in the Andes spend up to 70 per cent of their waking hours foraging for food. We also cater to this need here at Zoo Zurich. The animal care team stocks several feeding stations several times a day. The keepers scatter and bury food throughout the enclosure. This means the animals are constantly foraging, keeping them occupied in a way that is natural to their species.