One of the 8 bears on WAnimals
Mammals · Carnivora · Ursidae
Tremarctos ornatus
At high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term.
It is the only bear left in South America and the last surviving member of the short-faced bear subfamily, related to the extinct giant short-faced bears.
Weight
35 kg – 200 kg
Size
1.2 m – 2.1 m
Life expectancy
22 years
Diet
Omnivore
Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.
Activity
Irregular activity
Active at irregular times, by day or night depending on circumstances.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Moderate
AI-generated images: illustrations, not photographs.
Sources consulted: SeeTheWild; Britannica; Animal Diversity Web; Animalia.bio; Bear Conservation; Cleveland Metroparks; International Association for Bear Research and Management; Facts About Animals; PMC (photos age kinship study)
The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented — showing 10 of 23.
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Andean Bear — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
The andean bear is classified as vulnerable. Organisations such as the IUCN, WWF and the Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programmes is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 10 protected areas — one reason why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Based on what we already know about andean bear.
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