Spectacled bears are the only bear species native to South America. Their welfare is threatened by Andean forest fragmentation, human conflict, and the illegal wildlife trade.
Wild spectacled bear welfare is compromised by the progressive degradation of their Andean forest habitat. As forests are cleared for agriculture, bears are forced into contact with human settlements, leading to crop raiding and retaliatory killing — often by methods including poisoning and shooting that cause prolonged suffering. Cubs orphaned by persecution are sometimes kept as pets in poor conditions before confiscation. Bears caught in traps set for other species suffer preventable injuries. Climate change is altering the distribution of key food plants in the Andes, reducing food availability and forcing bears into lower elevations with higher conflict risk. Conservation programs that provide compensation to farmers and non-lethal deterrence allow bears to persist without the welfare costs of persecution.