The spectacled bear is the only species of bear native to South America and is known as the “Andean Bear” as it’s almost entirely found in the Andes Mountains.
The spectacled bear is the only species of bear native to South America and is known as the “Andean Bear” because of its range in the Andes Mountains. It is one of the most emblematic mammals of the tropical Andes.
Despite some rare spilling-over into eastern Panama, the spectacled bear is mostly restricted to certain areas of northern and western South America. It can be found throughout mountainous regions of the Andes in Ecuador, Colombia, western Venezuela, Peru, western Bolivia, and might also occur in northwestern Argentina. The species is found almost entirely in the Andes Mountains.
According to some researchers, the greatest number of bears is to be found on the borders between Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
• Image | © Tambako The Jaguar, Some Rights Reserved, (CC BY-ND 2.0)
• Sources | (Fenner, 2012; Fernando del Moral; Hunter, 2011; Macdonald, 2001; Naranjo & Hernández; Nowak, 1999; Servheen, Herrero, & Peyton, 1999; Velez-Liendo & García-Rangel, 2017; Wikimedia Foundation, 2018)
