Spectacled bears are the only bear species native to South America and the sole surviving short-faced bear lineage. Their welfare in captivity requires attention to their semi-arboreal habits and specialized diet.
Spectacled bear welfare in zoos depends on replicating the key features of their forest environment: vertical climbing opportunity, dietary variety approximating their frugivorous-dominated wild diet, thermal comfort appropriate to their Andean highland origin, and solitary or carefully managed pair housing. The species' dietary complexity — they consume over 300 plant species in the wild — cannot be fully replicated but can be partially approximated through a varied diet of fruits, vegetables, protein sources, and novel browse. Foraging enrichment that requires manipulation and problem-solving is particularly valuable. Social management must respect their natural solitary tendencies while meeting the institutional requirement for managed breeding within Species Survival Plans.