- Spectacled Bear - Hauser Bears

The spectacled bear is threatened by habitat loss as rain forests are disappearing and agricultural encroachment. Intensive mineral mining in certain areas is also destroying their natural habitat. they are often killed by farmers who retaliate against the loss of crops. There is evidence of illegal poaching to supply a local market of bear meat, fat, skin and claws. Gall bladders are occasionally removed to supply the Asian markets, fetching as much as US$150, which is five times the average monthly wage in Ecuador.

The Spectacled Bear is also known as the Andean Bear, and is the only South American bear species. It is named for the markings around its eyes, that are reminiscent of glasses. It is the last of the short-faced bear species.

It lives in different areas of the Andes, in Argentina, Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Panama. Its population is unknown but it is thought to be very rare and notoriously shy. It is possible that only 2000 still live in the wild. The spectacled bear measures between 130 and 190 cms. Females weigh between 80 and 125 kilos, but the male are much bigger, and can weigh up to 175 kilos. It is very much understudied, difficult to find and observe. They sleep, rest and feed in tree nests made from bent branches and forage for food in high trees, often as much as 15 meters of the ground.  They are vegetarian, and believed to be an important part of their ecosystem, dispersing seeds across the forest floor. They eat nuts, fruits, sugar cane, palm leaves, orchids but also eat small birds or rodents on occasion. they are mostly nocturnal.

The females are sexually mature after four years, and give birth to one or two cubs weighing between 300 and 500 grams. They stay with the mother only six to eight months and remain solitary for the most part of their lives. It is believed that the spectacled bear is capable of delayed implementation, as the cubs are always born just as the fruit season is about to start. The gestation period varies greatly between 5 and over eight months.

The spectacled bear is threatened by habitat loss as rain forests are disappearing and agricultural encroachment. Intensive mineral mining in certain areas is also destroying their natural habitat. they are often killed by farmers who retaliate against the loss of crops. There is evidence of illegal poaching to supply a local market of bear meat, fat, skin and claws and gall bladders are occasionally removed to supply the Asian markets.