The spectacled bear is South America's only bear species, facing serious welfare and conservation threats from deforestation and human-wildlife conflict in the Andes.
Spectacled bears in fragmented Andean habitats face food insecurity as their range shrinks. Bears forced into agricultural areas to find food face retaliatory killing causing direct welfare harm. Snares set for other animals injure bears causing limb damage and infection. The complex social and cognitive needs of bears mean habitat fragmentation that prevents normal ranging behaviour has welfare costs beyond nutritional stress. Captive bears in poorly designed facilities suffer chronic boredom and stereotypic behaviour.