One of the smallest bear species, the Spectacled Bear or Andean Bear is recognized as the guardian of the Andes and gardener par excellence. We invite you to discover this species that inhabits the Colombian territory and other South American countries.
Spectacled bear Facts
South America: The spectacled bear or Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus) is native to South America;
Endemic: It is the only species of bear that inhabits South America, and it is endemic to the tropical Andes.
Ancient: It has inhabited South America for more than five million years.
Last of its kind: It is the only living representative of the short-nosed bears, a group that inhabited only the American continent.
Big Territories: This bear needs large areas to be able to feed and look for mates.
Forest Engineer: The Andean bear has an efficient role as a seed disperser, making it fundamental for paramo and the Andean Forest.
Wide distribution: The spectacled bear is present in the forests of Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina (in the northern forests) and Colombia (with presence in the 3 mountain ranges, in protected areas).
Highlander: They are able to live at altitudes of up to 4,750 meters above sea level and it is not normal for them to frequent altitudes below 2000 meters.
Bioindicator: the presence of Spectacled bears indicates the availability of water and that nearby forests are in perfect condition.
Characteristics of the Spectacled Bear
Spectacled Bear rescued at La Planada Nature Reserve. Its name is Arcoiris (Rainbow)
One of the most important characteristics is the presence of white fur around the eyes in a circular shape, making its shape like that of a pair of glasses. There are many specimens where this white fur extends to the chest.
The size, coloration and shape of these white spots are usually different in each individual and are characteristics that are often used for identification at this level. The rest of their body fur is dark brown or black.
They are a very small species of bear; adult males reach a size of 100 to 200 kilograms while adult female spectacled bears weigh only 30 to 85 kilograms.
It is a species that normally remains alone, only when the female is in mating season can be observed accompanied. Spectacled bears only remain with their mother until they are one and a half years old, after which they separate from the litter.
Spectacled bears reach sexual maturity between 4 and 7 years of age. It is known that they can mate at any time of the year, although the highest reproductive activity is registered in April and June. Usually a female gives birth to a litter of 2 cubs, but sometimes 3 cubs are born after a gestation period of 5.5-8.5 months.
It is not aggressive, you may be surprised to find a bear that by instinct will stand on two legs when it feels invaded in its space or confused by the intruder in its habitat, but it will not try to attack if it sees a distant and clueless individual.
Where to Find the Spectacled bear in Colombia
There are many places in Colombia where the Andean bear is distributed, but seeing it is a fortuitous event. The places where you can have more luck to see the Spectacled bear in Colombia are:
Natural National Park Chingaza
During hiking activities in the páramo it is possible to see Andean bears directly or indirectly. Also on the trails you may be able to see tracks on the ground, scratches on the trees, territory marking, bedding and feeding troughs.
Surroundings of the Natural National Park Las Orquideas
Since 2016 there is registration in this protected area of the bear, so that in the stipulated trails there is evidence of the presence of bears; on very few occasions visitors have been able to make a direct sighting; the park caretakers if they have had the opportunity to see families of bears.
El Verjón, Near Bogota
This is the first time that the spectacled bear has been seen so close to an urban area; last July. 2021, a surprising spectacled bear was seen walking in the Cerros Orientales of the city of Bogotá. The sighting of the animal was recorded in a security camera video.
Municipality of Íquira
In the buffer zone of the Cerro Banderas Ojo Blanco Regional Integrated Management District (DRMI) and Nevado del Huila National Natural Park, a male bear was spotted by camera traps. In the department of Huila there are other municipalities where records of this endangered species have been documented in Santa María, Garzón, Guadalupe, Neiva, Algeciras, Colombia, Palermo, Teruel, Pitalito and San Agustín.
Threats to the Spectacled Bear
Currently, human encroachment on the spectacled bear’s habitat has caused a high percentage of deforestation, due to the increase of the agricultural frontier, which has caused the bears to move to higher and higher areas in the mountain range.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development have catalogued the spectacled bear as a species vulnerable to extinction.
Biological Corridor in Colombia for the Spectacled Bear
When we talk about a biological corridor is habitat for different species of wildlife, this time we will tell you the one that has the spectacled bear, tremarctos ornatus by the southwest and west of the department of Antioquia. This corridor can be identified in the following municipalities:
Jardín – Tamesis ( 28061 ha).
Andes – Betania – Ciudad Bolivar ( Farallones del Citará 30875 ha)
Salgar – Betulia (Cuchilla cerro plateado alto San José 8900 ha)
Urrao (29870 ha)
Anzá- Caicedo – Santa Fe de Antioquia (10087 ha)
Las Orquideas NPP (32000 ha )
Frontino ( 30139 ha)
Abraqui – Cañas Gordas – Giraldo ( 6900)
Currently the department of Antioquia is promoting a project for the conservation of the spectacled bear corridor, promoting:
The restoration of the forests
The protection and monitoring of the species present.
Establishing limits of the biological corridor and monitoring compliance.
Controlling the expansion of the agricultural frontier.
Constant education of the community in the conservation and protection of the biological corridor.
Development of projects for sustainable agricultural practices.
Ecological importance and importance in cultural and nature tourism
In addition to its ecological importance, the Andean bear has also been an emblematic animal, involved in the development of many of the indigenous and peasant cultures in the Andean countries. For many it is sacred, for others the big brother of the human being. In the oral traditions of the peoples, the bear is found in legends, tales, songs and myths.
The Andean bear is reflected in the common names of some plants, such as “la mano de oso” (Oreopanax bogotensis) and “la hierba del oso” (Xerophyllum tenax).
It is also very common to find sites or places that receive their names honoring the Andean bear: Alto del Oso (Colombia), Cueva del Oso (Ecuador), Quebrada El Oso (Colombia, Peru, Venezuela), Vereda del Oso (Colombia), among others. Thus, the Andean bear is part of the cultural heritage and worldview of the countries of the Andean region.
Sandoval-Guillén, Pablo, & Yánez-Moretta, Patrício. (2019). Aspectos biológicos y ecológicos del oso de anteojos (Tremarctos Ornatus, Ursidae) en la zona andina de Ecuador y perspectivas para su conservación bajo el enfoque de especies paisaje. LA GRANJA. Revista de Ciencias de la Vida , 30(2), 19-27. https://doi.org/10.17163/lgr.n30.2019.02
About the author
Luisa Martin
Engineer, world traveler, amateur photographer, traveling blogger, and foody.
Sara Colmenares
The current director of Sula. Doctor in Biological Sciences. Her main interests are to explore and understand the organism-environment interactions, taking advantage of emerging knowledge for the management and conservation of species and ecosystem services. She is currently working as a consultant in functional ecology, ecosystem services, and conservation projects in Colombia related to ecotourism and birdwatching.
As we have said so many times before, Colombia is the country with most bird species in the world. Well, this also applies to orchids! What we haven’t mentioned is that Colombia ranks second in quantity of plants, amphibians, butterflies and freshwater fish, third in palms and reptiles, and fourth in mammals.
Because of this, it is the second most biodiverse country on the planet. What an amazing country for an amazing wildlife tour.
The great diversity of this plants and animal groups in Colombia is associated with its geographical location and topography, which allows the confluence of five major biogeographical regions: Caribbean, Pacific, Andean, Orinoco and Amazon; and the presence of a wide range of ecosystems.
If you are interested in wildlife in Colombia, there are so many places for birdwatching and you can have a unique safari experience as well.
In Los Llanos, the Amazon and even in Antioquia, you can see capybaras, deer, caimans, giant anteaters, monkeys, armadillos, pumas, and many more animals. In this case, we will present to you other exciting wildlife to see in Colombia.
Land Animals to See in Colombia
Spectacled Bears in the Andes
The unique Andean or Spectacled Bear (Tremarctosornatus) is the last remaining short-faced bear and the only surviving species of bear native to South America. This medium-sized, black mammal –with beige face marks that seem like glasses, inhabits the three Andes mountain ranges.
It is a harmless animal that wouldn’t attack a human unless it feels under threat. However, it is considered Vulnerable in the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species, due to loss of habitat and illegal hunting.
Spectacled Bear rescued at La Planada Nature Reserve. Its name is Arcoiris (Rainbow)
Fortunately,Colombia’s National Parks System has developed a monitoring and conservation strategy for the Spectacled Bear in several protected zones.
Those who can see this bear in freedom can consider themselves lucky human beings since its population is small and they are elusive. They can be seen in humid montane forests and paramos, in altitudes up to 4,800 meters above sea level.
Solitary Andean bears have been recorded (watch here!) by camera traps in Chingaza National Natural Park, Cueva de Los Guácharos NNP, and Guanentá Alto Río Fonce Flora and Fauna Sanctuary.
If you travel to Bogotá, a day trip to Chingaza NNPmight be your chance to see the Spectacled bear directly or indirectly, through tracks on the ground, scratches on trees, beds made of leaves, and other signs.
Jaguars in Llanos Orientales
The largest feline in the Americas, and the third–largest in the world, wanders the tropical and subtropical moist forests, dry grasslands, and swamps of Colombia. The existence of water bodies in these habitats is a sign of the jaguar‘s presence — it is a swimmer par excellence.
This large, solitary feline on the top of the food chain inhabits most of the country’s land: the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, some parts of the Pacific coast, the Orinoco eastern plains, and the vast Amazon.
Next Jaguar Destination in Colombia
However, as a Near Threatened species due to illegal hunting and habitat destruction, it is uncommonly spotted by tourists during wildlife tours in Colombia.
You can embark on a trip to Hato La Aurorain Los Llanos to seek out a jaguar. Hopefully, you will spot one hiding while waiting to ambush its prey or even chasing its victim.
La Aurora is the largest Civil Society Natural Reserve in Colombia and is located in the towns of Paz de Ariporo and HatoCorozal, 4.5 hours by car from the capital of Casanare.
Know more about the conservation of the jaguars in Colombia at Panthera Colombia.
Monkeys in Forests and Jungles
Colombia is the sixth richest country in the world in primates along with Brazil, Zaire, Cameroon, Indonesia, Madagascar, and Peru, and the third richest in the region after Brazil and Peru, as it has 38 species and 45 subspecies, including 10 species and 15 endemic taxa.
Of all the primate species found in Colombia, 53% are endangered as a result of the dramatic deforestation of its habitat and its capture for the illegal trade.
Critically endangered species include the Variegated Spider Monkey (Ateles hybridus), the Brown-headed Spider Monkey (Ateles fusciceps), the Caquetá Tití Monkey (Plecturocebus caquetensis) and the Cotton-top Tamarin (Saguinus oedipus). The last two are endemic.
Red Howler Monkey – Alouatta seniculus
The howler monkeys can be found in the eastern plains, in the department of Meta, easy to hear and somewhat difficult to observe in places like Unamas or Lagos de Menegua. Also in the Amazon.
Cotton-top tamarin
The cotton-top tamarin is endemic to the tropical forests of northern Colombia, and it is possible to observe them at Los Limites, a small village located on the border between the departments of Atlántico and Bolívar, very close to the town of Luruaco, where the “arepa de huevo” (egg-shaped arepa) originates.
Proyecto Tití places there and focuses on scientific studies of the biology of wild cotton-top tamarins and working with rural communities living in close proximity to cotton-top tamarin forested areas, through sustainable community development and conservation education programs, which includes ecotourism.
Marine Life to See in Colombia
Coral reefs in the Caribbean
Most people think that corals are marine plants, but they are actually invertebrate animals of great ecological importance. An individual coral is called a polyp and they live in groups of hundreds to thousands of genetically identical polyps that form a ‘colony’.
Hard corals form what we know as coral reefs, the largest living structure on the planet, and the only living structure to be visible from space! Coral reefs are amazing, colorful living beings that host and protect many other marine species, hence its importance.
Coral reefs in the Islas del Rosario National Natural Park
In Colombia, you can find the most important coral reef formations in San Bernardo Archipelago and Corales del Rosario Islands, located on the Caribbean sea, approximately 2 and 1–hour boat ride from the city of Cartagena.
Corales del Rosario y de San Bernardo National Natural Park
Corales del Rosario y de San Bernardo National Natural Parkcovers an area of 120,000 hectares, protecting the largest coral reef of the Colombian continental Caribbean, with about 420 km2! To appreciate the immense and stunning wildlife inhabiting coral reefs, you can practice scuba diving near Baru, Isla Grande, and Tintipan islands.
Coral Reef at Islas del Rosario
Sea turtles, nurse sharks, Caribbean spiny lobsters, Nassau groupers, and many other animals can be seen swimming around these corals, in shallow waters.
Providence Island
In Providence Island, next to San Andres island, you can explore part of the world’s third–largest coral reef, protected as Seaflower Biosphere Reserve.
Seaflower Meaningful Diving – Natural Wealth Award
Visit the Old Providence McBean Lagoon NNP with its mangroves and seven colors sea.
Scuba diving with schools of sharks is one of the attractions of Malpelo, the best diving spot in Colombia. Malpelo is one of the world’s top three spots to dive among sharks!
Malpelo Island is a Flora and Fauna Sanctuary and World Heritage Site found in Colombian Pacific waters, 500 km (up to 36–hour boat ride) from the city of Buenaventura, in Valle del Cauca.
This volcanic formation is actually the highest point of a submarine range: Dorsal de Malpelo, which hosts incredible marine wildlife. Know more about conservation projects in Malpelo at Protect Malpelo.
Frog Fish or rosy-lipped batfish (Ogcocephalus darwini) by Thomas Kotouc at Malpelo protectmalpelo.org
Scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini) are found in schools of up to 200 specimens around this island and one of the best spots to observe them is La Nevera, a ‘cleaning station’ where small fish take parasites off the sharks.
Apart from these peculiar sharks, divers can see great schools of fish such as barracuda, tuna, red porgy, and more, along with the rosy-lipped batfish — the ugliest fish in the world, the giant oceanic manta ray, and luckily the small tooth sand tiger—’Malpelo’s monster, in depths over 45 m (150 ft).
Malpelo is every diver’s paradise! You should know that only experienced/professional divers with 35 previous logged excursions can visit the island, with a local guide.
Hammerheads Schooling (Sphyrna zygaena) by Thomas Kotouc at Malpelo protectmalpelo.org
Whales in the Colombian Pacific
During the second half of the year or most of it, the Colombian Pacific coast gains prominence among wildlife lovers.
From July to late October, large groups ofHumpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) migrate from the South Pole to the warm waters of the northern Pacific Ocean to mate, give birth, and raise their calves.
The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), Bahía Solano, Chocó
Whale watching is one of the greatest wildlife tours for tourists visiting Colombia during this time.
Choco, Cauca, and Valle del Cauca are common places to observe the whales’ acrobatics and hear their songs. These departments have different spots on the coasts surrounded by lush tropical forests and warmed by the kindness of its inhabitants.
Gorgona island, Bahía Solano and Ensenada de Utría NNP in Nuquí are favorite spots!
Nuquí, Chocó
Gorgona stands out for being a mysterious island with dense jungle, a former prison’s ruins, and a lot of snakes. Here you can also hike, snorkel and do scuba diving to see whale sharks and whitetip reef sharks, and coral reefs.
Colombia, along with Venezuela, hosts the largest number of crocodile species (read more). These semi-aquatic reptiles live in tropical regions, gathering around freshwater habitats, such as rivers, lakes, and wetlands. You can find 2 species in Colombia: the Orinoco crocodile and the American crocodile.
The Orinoco crocodile
The Orinoco crocodile(Crocodylus intermedius), measuring up to 7 meters,is among the largest crocodiles in the world, and the largest predator in South America! It is critically endangered, though. As its name indicates, it lives in the Orinoco basin, both in Venezuela and Colombia.
Sierra de la Macarena in Meta and El Tuparro National Natural Park in Vichada are both large protected areas open to ecotourism, where you can spot Orinoco crocodiles while discovering the beauty of the llanero landscapes and its wildlife.
La Macarena is home to ‘the most beautiful river in the world’ —CañoCristales, and animals such as Capuchins, the Speckled tanager, and the Straight-billed woodcreeper.
The American crocodile (Crocodylusacutus) is the most widespread of the crocodiles from the Americas and inhabits coastal areas, including mangrove swamps and lagoons.
If you travel to Colombia’s Caribbean or Pacific region, you will probably find it still, perhaps with its jaw wide open. Don’t worry, it’s not that they want to hunt you, but this is the way they gain heat.
The Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta Flora and Fauna Sanctuary is one of the crocodiles watching spots. This is a large mangrove swamp where the Northern tamandua, Neotropic cormorant, and West Indian manatee also live.
The Spectacled Caiman
As if it weren’t surprising enough, you can also find the Spectacled caiman—or Babilla, (Caiman cocodrilus) in Hato La Aurora, the pioneer of the Colombian Safari, or El Encanto de Guanapalo (see tour), also in Casanare.
Frogs
About 800 amphibian species of different shapes and colors live in Colombia. Frogs account for 93% of amphibians in the country, which means that there are 734 species. Also, more than half of them are endemic!
However, 53 species are critically endangered because of the destruction of their habitats and collectors of exotic animals. Although most species can be found in the Andean region, the greatest wealth is in the tropical rain forests of the Amazon and the Pacific region, between 0 and 249 MASL.
Poison dart frogs
Dart frog (Dendrobatidae) at Santa Cecilia, Risaralda
All bright colored and dangerous, are one of the main attractions to herpetologists and wildlife lovers. These can be found in the Biogeographic Choco region, one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet.
There are frog tours in the departments of Choco and Valle del Cauca, along the Colombian Pacific coast.
Golden Poison Dart Frog
Actually, in the lush jungles of Choco, you can find the Golden Poison Dart Frog (Phyllobatesterribilis), the most poisonous in the world! An adult frog’s skin has enough poison to kill 20,000 mice or 100 human adults.
Although the poison of the Golden Poison Dart Frog only acts when ingested or when entering the body through the mucosae, not the skin, you should be cautious with dart frogs during your wildlife tour.
Other Dart Frogs
Other dart frogs found here are the Black-legged Poison Dart Frog, Kokoe Poison Frog, Yellowbelly Poison Frog, different Harlequin Poison Frogs and the Diablito Poison Frog.
Get to know dart frogs of the genus Dendrobatidae and others with us in our Dart Frogs Tourin the Biogeographic Choco! You will visit places in Valle del Cauca such as Cali, Anchicayá, the San Cipriano Forest Reserve –both near Buenaventura, the Yotoco Natural Reserve, and Santa Cecilia in Risaralda.
Also, you will witness the Lehmann Frog, Marbled Poison-arrow Frog, Harlequin Poison Frog, Yellow-bellied Poison Frog, Gliding Tree Frog along spectacular snakes and lizards.
Anacondas
The Green Anaconda(Eunectesmurinus) is the heaviest and one of the longest snake species! This reptile, which can reach up to 5 meters long, is native to South America and is mostly found in the Amazon rainforest and the Orinoco basin.
Because of its weight, which reportedly ranges from 30 to 70 kg (66 to 154 lb) in adults, this snake doesn’t stay that much on the ground, but it is an agile swimmer. Its olive–green skin with black botches allows the anaconda to camouflage in the waters and surprise its prey easily.
It is not venomous, but once it has kept its eyes on its victim, it is hard to run away from a fateful death by suffocation.
Green anaconda (Eunectes murinus), also known as common anaconda or common water boa.
When you travel to Colombia and go on an Amazonnight safari, watch out for these nocturnal, stealthy reptiles! The other way to meet them is to visitHato La Aurora—once again. but this place is great!— in the eastern plains of Colombia.
Plants to See in Colombia
Orchids in Colombia
4,270 species of orchids can be found in Colombia. Out of these, 1,572 are not seen anywhere else in the world! Hence, the Cattleya trianae was named as the national flagship flower.
The country’s National Natural Parks host about 20% of the orchids, but the most privileged zone in the national territory is the Andes region, since it hosts overhalf of the total species, with 944 endemics.
Finca Romelia Colors of Life
Finca Romelia Colors of Life
One of the places to admire the beauty of these flowers distinctively shaped and colored is Romelia Farmon the outskirts of Manizales, in the Coffee Region. This family farm is a haven of 8,000 orchids of 840 species, as well as a variety of bonsai and over 200 bird species.
Romelia offers 3 to 5–hour orchids tours around the house, natural trails, and a garden center, where you get a lesson about these stunning flowers and how to sow them. Plus, you get a snack and lunch. The price is around USD 35.
Puracé National Natiral Park
Another place full of orchids is Puracé NNP in Cauca, a natural reserve that protects a volcanic complex, the source of the Magdalena, Cauca, Patía and Caquetá rivers, some of the main rivers of the country. In this indigenous land, there are over 200 species of orchids that you can appreciate while hiking along the Orquideas trail made of stone. The species Epidendrum fimbriatum is a highlight.
In terms of flora, Colombia has a major role too. Colombia’s over 45,000 plant species account for 10% of the world’s plant species!
The Quindio Wax Palm (Ceroxylonquindiuense) is the national tree and is the world’s largest palm, reaching up to 60 meters. It is native to the Andean humid montane forests of Los Nevados National Natural Park and you can find it in the high Andean valley of Toche, Tolima, and the Cocora Valley in Quindío.
The Queen Victoria’s water lily or Victoria amazonica is another flower that amazes foreigners that visit the Amazon. It is the largest of the water lilies, having a diameter of up to 40 cm (16 in). These amazing floating flowers are pollinated by beetles.
Victoria amazonica is a species of flowering plant, the largest of the Nymphaeaceae family of water lilies.
Frailejón
Last but not least, during your wildlife or hiking tour in Colombia, you have to meet the Frailejones (“big monks”).
These subshrubs of the genus Espeletia are native to the páramos of Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador and play a key role in the creation of subterranean water deposits.
The Espeletiauribei is one of the world’s tallest —up to 18 m— and can be found in the Chingaza NNP, a páramo near Bogotá.
Espeletia, Páramo at the Andean Forest
So here you have many living reasons to visit Colombia. We hope you dare to explore the breathtaking landscapes of this country and book your wildlife tour with us (tours).
Modern Languages professional with an emphasis on business translation. Interested in the cultural adaptation of written and audiovisual content. Passionate about knowing new cultures and languages, tourism, and sustainable living.
Sara Colmenares
The current director of Sula. Doctor in Biological Sciences. Her main interests are to explore and understand the organism–environment interactions, taking advantage of emerging knowledge for the management and conservation of species and ecosystem services. She is currently working as a consultant in functional ecology, ecosystem services, and conservation projects in Colombia related to ecotourism and birdwatching.
