Andean Bears

The first Andean bears to be born in the UK are at Chester Zoo.

Name

The Andean bear is called that because they can be found around the mountain range called the Andes. These bears are mostly black with light coloured round markings around their eyes and on their chest.

In native languages, they are called ‘Jukumari’, ‘Ukumari’, and ‘Ukuku’.

Features

Andean bears are big animals, but they are only a mid-sized bear. Males weigh about 115kg and females 65kg.

They are known for their fur and pattern, but not all Andean bears have a spectacle pattern.

Andean bears have very short tails at less than 10cm in length. They have very short snout compared to most bears.

Family life

Andean bears are great at climbing trees and sometimes build small platforms for themselves there. It is here that they can store food and rest.

It is up there that they sleep, usually alone except for cubs. Cubs are born in litters of 1 to 3, and they stay with their mum for about a year.

The bears are very non-aggressive and prefer to run away from danger like jaguars and humans.

Food

Andean bears are omnivorous, so they eat meat and plants. Only about 5{6c082c8494c21a03d17f10d863ee8b06d7dc461388e432433da70d4d6afda271} of their diet is actually meat, which comes in the form of fish, rodents, and even llamas. The rest of their diet is varied. They like honey, berries, sugarcane, nuts, and cactus.

They will sometimes eat in groups as they are not territorial animals.

Human relations

Andean bears are classed as vulnerable due to hunting and habitat loss.

Paddington Bear is an Andean bear from ‘deepest darkest Peru’.