An Andean bear known for pale markings on the face.
Usually black, it has variable pale markings around the eyes and chest; some individuals have no such markings.
In high-elevation grassland in southeastern Peru, Andean bears did not forage equally across available plants. From July 2017 to August 2018, researchers surveyed 11,613 bromeliads in 2,895 patches. They recorded foraging at 6.8% of plants and 16.7% of patches. Bears selected Puya leptostachya over another Puya species and more often used dry-season patches with dense, young plants.
A model of relative foraging probability peaked about 130 metres from the cloud-forest edge and fell close to zero beyond 400 metres. The authors suggest forest cover may offer protection, but only one observed foraging event was outside the national park. These local results point to grassland edges and condition; they do not establish the species’ full diet or population status.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
The study links local foraging to plant species, growth stage, season and distance from cloud forest. Monitoring puna grassland, forest edges and livestock use could help describe habitat conditions at this site. Only one foraging observation was outside the park, so the study does not establish a broad livestock effect or a current formal species-level category or assessment date.