South America's only bear species faces habitat loss, retaliatory killing, and capture for the illegal pet trade — creating serious welfare and conservation crises.
Spectacled bears face welfare harms across multiple domains. Wild individuals living near agricultural land face retaliatory killing if they raid crops or livestock. Bears captured for the pet trade suffer enormously — cubs ripped from their mothers experience profound psychological trauma, and confinement in inappropriate conditions is common in illegal trade. Bears kept as tourist attractions in deplorable conditions are documented across Latin America. Even bears not directly harmed by humans face the chronic stress of shrinking, fragmented habitat. Conservation efforts that reduce human-wildlife conflict — including livestock guard animals and bear-proof crop storage — address both conservation and individual welfare outcomes.