Spectacled bears are the only bear species native to South America, and their welfare in captivity requires understanding their unique ecology and behavioral needs distinct from northern hemisphere bears.
Spectacled bear welfare in zoos requires understanding a bear quite different from the familiar brown or polar bear. Their predominantly plant-based diet demands access to diverse browse, fruit, and plant matter rather than the meat-heavy diet some bear facilities provide. Their arboreal tendencies require tall climbing structures and elevated platforms for resting and feeding. Solitary social needs mean that housing incompatible individuals together creates chronic stress. Best-practice exhibits provide large, vertically complex environments with abundant plant food, appropriate solitude options, and behavioral enrichment that engages their unusual foraging ecology.