Celebrating World Bear Day: The Speckled Bear
March 23 is World Bear Day, a day to celebrate the eight species of bears that are found all over the world. It is also a day to bring awareness to several bear species at risk due to habitat loss, climate change, hunting, and captivity.
Bears are important for our ecosystems as they disperse seeds through their feces across different areas, encouraging plant diversity and nutrient cycling by leaving behind carcasses or scraps. If bears were to disappear, the ecosystems would be forced to change radically, allowing new and possibly invasive species to populate the bear’s habitats. Bears also create depressions in the ground while foraging for food, which can lead to the formation of small ponds. These actions contribute to the creation of diverse habitats that support other wildlife.
Polar bears and panda bears tend to be the “poster animals” when it comes to protecting bears against the dangers that are putting them at risk. This article will talk about another bear species that deserves our attention just as much as the others: the Speckled Bear.
The Speckled Bear (also known as the Andean bear or the spectacled bear) is native to South America. It is found in Venezuela, Northern Argentina, and Bolivia. It is said that the greatest number of Speckled Bears can be found on the borders between Columbia, Ecuador, and Peru. These bears live in forests, grasslands and scrublands. The Speckled Bear get its name from the rings or light fur around its eyes, which can look like eyeglasses against the bear’s dark fur.
Speckled Bears are arboreal bears and will use their long, sharp front claws to climb trees and look for food. The Speckled Bears are omnivores and are known to eat over 300 different kinds of plants and 20 types of animals. Only about 5 to 7% of their diet is meat. Because there is enough food available throughout the year, the Speckled Bear does not hibernate. The Speckled Bear is the third heaviest mammal in South America, with male bears weighing up to 440 pounds.
The Speckled Bear influenced a classic children’s book character, Paddington Bear, which the author explains has come from the darkest Peru. The fictional bear’s popularity has brought attention to Peru, where companies now offer Paddington tours that take travellers through the bear’s habitat.
The biggest threat to the Speckled Bear is habitat loss for constructing roads or clearing forests to grow coca crops and cattle farming. Speckled Bears are also hunted for various parts of its body. Their gallbladders are sold for traditional oriental medicine, and Ecuador has a large market for their paws.
The Speckled Bear Conservation in Peru is working to conserve and protect the bears and their habitat through scientific research, education, and collaboration with local communities, governments, and landowners.
The Speckled Bear and 5 other bear species at risk need protection on World Bear Day and every day. Here are some ways to celebrate the day:
- Learn about different bear species, their habitats, and their conservation challenges.
- Visit a bear sanctuary near you.
- Attend local events or programs organized by wildlife conservation groups, zoos, or nature reserves focusing on bears.
- Read a bear book like Winnie the Pooh, Paddington Bear or The Bears of Blue River.
- Support initiatives that address human-wildlife conflicts in areas where bears reside and advocate for policies and regulations that protect bear habitats.
- Donate to animal rights or environmental organizations working to help endangered or threatened bear species.
Every effort we make is one step closer to protecting bear species, their habitats, and the ecosystems that depend on them.
