Spectacled bears are South America's only bear species. Their captive management requirements are specific, and welfare quality varies significantly between institutions.
Spectacled bear welfare reflects the general challenge of keeping large, cognitively complex bears in captivity. Their natural diet diversity and ranging behavior cannot be fully replicated in zoo environments. The welfare gap between leading and average practice is significant: institutions that invest in complex foraging opportunities, large naturalistic spaces, and cognitive enrichment achieve markedly better behavioral indicators than those providing minimal space and enrichment. The conservation value of captive spectacled bears supports maintaining the captive population, but does not justify substandard welfare.