Spectacled Bears
These small bears live throughout the forested Andean regions of South America. In Peru they are commonly associated with the northern regions, where dry sub-tropical and cloud forests are more prevalent, though they also still exist in the high-altitude cloud forests along the spine of the Andes. They feel at home in the canopies of trees, where they also find most their food sources.
My first contact with Spectacled Bears, other than from the Paddington Bear stories as a child, was at the private reserve of Chaparrí in the department of Lambayeque, 60km from Chiclayo. Here bears are being reintroduced to the wild after been freed from captivity, and in often cruel conditions. You can read about some of the bears rescued here, and see my photos by opening this blog entry and clicking a thumbnail on the right. These photos are a result of me not being electrocuted by an electric fence, and not being mauled by what turned out, luckily, to be tolerant bears. Enjoy.
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Comments (6)
great pictures, obviously very photogentic as well as tolerant bears.
They are eventually weaned from human contact and released in the park… the vast majority of it off-limits to visitors. With some timed cameras, they have taken photos of some of the now wild bears walking through the forests.
your lucky they dint kill you you reckless idiot you know they kill right?
Nice name. There has only ever been one case of these bears killing a human being. They are shy, solitary and non-aggressive. I was perfectly safe at all times.
[...] is home to many endangered species, including the White-winged Guan (Pava Aliblanca) and the Spectacled Bear (Oso de Anteojos). In fact, the reserve is a major centre of conservation for the two species, [...]
[...] the months of June-July, Spectacled Bears also visit the area, and are often seen by researchers from the INC and INRENA who conduct daily [...]