A recent wildlife survey led by SERNANP (Servicio Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas por el Estado) and WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) in the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu in Peru has confirmed that the world-famous site is also home to a biologically important and iconic species: the Andean bear

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“Venezuelan Bears
Find New Homes in
Machu Picchu”

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A recent wildlife survey led by SERNANP (Servicio Nacional de Áreas
Naturales Protegidas por el Estado) and WCS (Wildlife Conservation
Society) in the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu in Peru has confirmed
that the world-famous site is also home to a biologically important and
iconic species: the Andean bear
The Andean Bean of South America is found from Venezuela to Northern
Argentina. The Andean bears are also known as spectacled bears due to
their rings of white or light fur around their eyes.

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According to the San Diego Zoo, the rings around their eyes can look like
eyeglasses, or spectacles, against the rest of their dark brown fur.
San Diego Zoo’s website states,
“These markings often extend down the chest, giving each bear a unique
appearance and helping researchers identify each bear by its “mug shot”.
The markings also give the bear its scientific name: Tremarctos ornatus, or
decorated bear. “

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In Venezuela, this species has 2 distinct ranges. The spectacled bears in Venezuela
depend mainly on humid mountain forests along the Andes Cordillera. While the
bear is now exploring new regions, it is also facing extinction. There are efforts in
South America to protect the bear from extinction.
“The most effective measure for the conservation of Andean bears in Bolivia is the
national system of protected areas,” Wallace told Mongabay Latam.” Although the
hunting of Andean bears is rare, it usually relates to the conflict between humans
and wildlife, either by an affectation to their livestock or corn crops.”

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Earth Touch Network wrote about the survey revealing impressive findings.
“According to the survey, the species is much more common within the
boundaries of the UNESCO site (and in the areas surrounding it) than we
thought. Researchers found evidence of Andean bears in more than 95% of
the 368-square-kilometre area studied, which includes the entirety of Machu
Picchu. Although it was previously known that some bears lived within the
study range, the survey revealed an unexpectedly large population.”

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The unexpected surprise population is actually good news as
the bear’s numbers are dwindling in South America. There are
less than 3,000 of the Paddington look-alike bears left in the
wild according to OEW.

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