The spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus), also known as the Andean bear, is the only bear species in South America and the last surviving member of the short-faced bear subfamily (Tremarctinae). Listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, the global population is estimated at 13,000–18,000 individuals, with Colombia harboring between 3,000 and 6,000 — roughly 25% of the species’ total range. Found across all three Colombian Andean cordilleras, from cloud forests at 1,000 m to páramo grasslands above 4,700 m, this largely herbivorous bear plays a critical ecological role as a seed disperser and forest engineer. Despite its importance, the spectacled bear faces severe pressure from habitat fragmentation, agricultural expansion, and human-wildlife conflict.
Spectacled bear Facts
- South America: The spectacled bear or Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus) is native to South America;
- Endemic: It is the only species of bear that inhabits South America, and it is endemic to the tropical Andes.
- Ancient: It has inhabited South America for more than five million years.
- Last of its kind: It is the only living representative of the short-nosed bears, a group that inhabited only the American continent.
- Big Territories: This bear needs large areas to be able to feed and look for mates.
- Forest Engineer: The Andean bear has an efficient role as a seed disperser, making it fundamental for paramo and the Andean Forest.
- Wide distribution: The spectacled bear is present in the forests of Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina (in the northern forests) and Colombia (with presence in the 3 mountain ranges, in protected areas).
- Highlander: They are able to live at altitudes of up to 4,750 meters above sea level and it is not normal for them to frequent altitudes below 2000 meters.
- Bioindicator: the presence of Spectacled bears indicates the availability of water and that nearby forests are in perfect condition.
Characteristics of the Spectacled Bear
One of the most important characteristics is the presence of white fur around the eyes in a circular shape, making its shape like that of a pair of glasses. There are many specimens where this white fur extends to the chest.
The size, coloration and shape of these white spots are usually different in each individual and are characteristics that are often used for identification at this level. The rest of their body fur is dark brown or black.
They are a very small species of bear; adult males reach a size of 100 to 200 kilograms while adult female spectacled bears weigh only 30 to 85 kilograms.
It is a species that normally remains alone, only when the female is in mating season can be observed accompanied. Spectacled bears only remain with their mother until they are one and a half years old, after which they separate from the litter.
Spectacled bears reach sexual maturity between 4 and 7 years of age. It is known that they can mate at any time of the year, although the highest reproductive activity is registered in April and June. Usually a female gives birth to a litter of 2 cubs, but sometimes 3 cubs are born after a gestation period of 5.5-8.5 months.
It is not aggressive, you may be surprised to find a bear that by instinct will stand on two legs when it feels invaded in its space or confused by the intruder in its habitat, but it will not try to attack if it sees a distant and clueless individual.
Diet, Behavior & Ecological Role
The spectacled bear is approximately 95% herbivorous, making it the most herbivorous bear species after the giant panda. Its diet centers on bromeliads (particularly Puya and Tillandsia species), fruits, bamboo hearts, cacti, and palm fronds. In cloud forests, bears climb trees to access bromeliads growing in the canopy, often building platform nests from broken branches where they feed and rest — a behavior unique among bears. They occasionally supplement their diet with insects, small mammals, and carrion.
Spectacled bears are primarily crepuscular and nocturnal, with peak activity at dawn and dusk. They are solitary animals that maintain large home ranges — males typically cover 50–150 km², while females range over 15–50 km². Despite their solitary nature, bears may congregate temporarily at abundant food sources such as fruiting trees. They are not territorial in the traditional sense but avoid direct contact with other individuals.
Ecologically, the spectacled bear functions as a keystone species. By feeding on bromeliads in the páramo and dispersing seeds from fruiting trees across elevation gradients, they maintain plant diversity and help regenerate forest corridors between fragmented habitats. Their presence is considered a bioindicator of ecosystem health — where spectacled bears thrive, water sources and forest connectivity tend to be intact.
Where to Find the Spectacled bear in Colombia
There are many places in Colombia where the Andean bear is distributed, but seeing it is a fortuitous event. The places where you can have more luck to see the Spectacled bear in Colombia are:
Natural National Park Chingaza
During hiking activities in the páramo it is possible to see Andean bears directly or indirectly. Also on the trails you may be able to see tracks on the ground, scratches on the trees, territory marking, bedding and feeding troughs.
Surroundings of the Natural National Park Las Orquideas
Since 2016 there is registration in this protected area of the bear, so that in the stipulated trails there is evidence of the presence of bears; on very few occasions visitors have been able to make a direct sighting; the park caretakers if they have had the opportunity to see families of bears.
El Verjón, Near Bogota
This is the first time that the spectacled bear has been seen so close to an urban area; last July. 2021, a surprising spectacled bear was seen walking in the Cerros Orientales of the city of Bogotá. The sighting of the animal was recorded in a security camera video.
Municipality of Íquira
In the buffer zone of the Cerro Banderas Ojo Blanco Regional Integrated Management District (DRMI) and Nevado del Huila National Natural Park, a male bear was spotted by camera traps. In the department of Huila there are other municipalities where records of this endangered species have been documented in Santa María, Garzón, Guadalupe, Neiva, Algeciras, Colombia, Palermo, Teruel, Pitalito and San Agustín.
Threats to the Spectacled Bear
Currently, human encroachment on the spectacled bear’s habitat has caused a high percentage of deforestation, due to the increase of the agricultural frontier, which has caused the bears to move to higher and higher areas in the mountain range.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development have catalogued the spectacled bear as a species vulnerable to extinction.
Biological Corridor in Colombia for the Spectacled Bear
When we talk about a biological corridor is habitat for different species of wildlife, this time we will tell you the one that has the spectacled bear, tremarctos ornatus by the southwest and west of the department of Antioquia. This corridor can be identified in the following municipalities:
- Jardín – Tamesis ( 28061 ha).
- Andes – Betania – Ciudad Bolivar ( Farallones del Citará 30875 ha)
- Salgar – Betulia (Cuchilla cerro plateado alto San José 8900 ha)
- Urrao (29870 ha)
- Anzá- Caicedo – Santa Fe de Antioquia (10087 ha)
- Las Orquideas NPP (32000 ha )
- Frontino ( 30139 ha)
- Abraqui – Cañas Gordas – Giraldo ( 6900)
The department of Antioquia is leading one of Colombia’s most important spectacled bear conservation initiatives — the biological corridor project connecting protected areas across the western cordillera. In parallel, coffee-growing communities in regions like Jardín and southwestern Antioquia have pioneered coexistence programs, implementing electric fencing, shade-grown coffee practices, and bear monitoring to reduce human-wildlife conflict. These partnerships between conservationists and farmers demonstrate that agricultural landscapes can serve as functional bear habitat when managed sustainably. The corridor project focuses on:
- The restoration of the forests
- The protection and monitoring of the species present.
- Establishing limits of the biological corridor and monitoring compliance.
- Controlling the expansion of the agricultural frontier.
- Constant education of the community in the conservation and protection of the biological corridor.
- Development of projects for sustainable agricultural practices.
Ecological importance and importance in cultural and nature tourism
In addition to its ecological importance, the Andean bear has also been an emblematic animal, involved in the development of many of the indigenous and peasant cultures in the Andean countries. For many it is sacred, for others the big brother of the human being. In the oral traditions of the peoples, the bear is found in legends, tales, songs and myths.
The Andean bear is reflected in the common names of some plants, such as “la mano de oso” (Oreopanax bogotensis) and “la hierba del oso” (Xerophyllum tenax).
It is also very common to find sites or places that receive their names honoring the Andean bear: Alto del Oso (Colombia), Cueva del Oso (Ecuador), Quebrada El Oso (Colombia, Peru, Venezuela), Vereda del Oso (Colombia), among others. Thus, the Andean bear is part of the cultural heritage and worldview of the countries of the Andean region.
Sara Colmenares holds a Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) in Ecology from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and a Master’s degree in Botany from the same institution. Her doctoral research focused on palm ecology in the Atlantic Forest, supported by the Rufford Foundation conservation grant.
A published researcher in the Brazilian Journal of Plant Physiology and a member of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC), Sara has presented her work at international conferences across Latin America and beyond. She was awarded the COLCIENCIAS “Virginia Gutiérrez de Pineda” fellowship, one of Colombia’s most competitive academic distinctions for young researchers.
Sara founded the Sula nature tourism brand in 2018, applying her scientific expertise to develop birding and wildlife experiences across Colombia’s six natural regions. Her fieldwork took her from the cloud forests of the Andes to the Amazon basin, the Pacific coast, and the plains of the Orinoquía. She combined deep ecological knowledge with firsthand experience to create content that is both scientifically accurate and practically useful for nature travelers.
She holds a B.Sc. in Biology from the National University of Colombia, where she also taught plant ecophysiology. She speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and English.