Conservation Value:

The vast scale of Manú National Park—spanning Andean highlands, cloud forest and lowland Amazonian fortest—makes it a stronghold for apex predators and species with large home ranges or that are rare and widely distributed. The elevational range of Manú, from 300 feet to 11,000 feet above sea level, enhances its importance for the ability of species to adapt to climate change. The spectacled bear (‘Ukuku’ in Quechua) is a cultural icon for the Quechua indigenous people because its movements replicate the seasonal migrations of the ancestral Quechua and traditional groups like the Keros Quechua, who migrate with the seasons to move crops and livestock into different life zones. These highly arboreal bears are one of the few large mammal species to move freely from cloud forest to upper elevation grasslands and thus may play an important role in seed dispersal. The species is designated as Vulnerable and its population is decreasing.

Threats:

The main threats to the highest cloud forest in the Amazon basin are overgrazing and burning from above and an upward shift in plant community assemblages from below.

Actions & Results:

Conservación Amazónica (ACCA) developed The Andean Bear Conservation Program, whose mission is to ensure the survival of this iconic species via a comprehensive conservation strategy that includes scientific research, innovative technologies, restoration initiatives, and environmental education through community engagement. In 2023, project staff provided training to 11 local schools, engaged a total of 170 children and 50 adults, and held a two-day environmental awareness immersive experience in the cloud forest for local communities. Six local ambassadors were trained to serve as leaders to advance conservation efforts in their own communities. The annual 'Ukuku Raymi' (or Andean Bear) Festival—designed to celebrate achievements and strengthen community bonds—was attended by ~500 people, including 16 schools and 5 local communities. Furthermore, to monitor the movements and habitat utilization of spectacled bears and other mammals in the cloud forest ecosystem, advanced technology (e.g., GPS collars and camera traps) was used to uncover the 'hidden lives' of spectacled bears to help inform conservation decisions. Toward this end, 200 bear feces were collected, 95 camera traps were deployed, and 11,900 GPS data points were collected from two threatened spectacled bears.