Spectacled bears are South America's only bear species and the most arboreal of all bears. Captive management must accommodate their climbing behaviour, omnivorous diet including bromeliads and fruits, and largely solitary social structure.
Captive spectacled bears require tall, robust climbing structures — native-timber poles and logs rather than metal frames — and access to soil areas for natural digging and foraging. Their diet must include diverse plant material to mirror the high-fibre, varied wild diet and prevent digestive problems common on fruit-heavy captive diets. Bear-proofed enclosures must be deep-rooted given exceptional digging ability. Welfare problems arise in facilities that house bears on hard surfaces without climbing access or substrate for foraging. Field conservation programmes in Ecuador and Peru that zoo institutions fund protect remaining habitat corridors.