Andean Bear Conservation Program
Oso Andino
Photo: Walter H. Wust
At the Wayqecha Biological Station, we study the ecological and cultural role of the Andean bear to better understand how a rapidly changing climate may affect this species.
Andean bears are among the few large mammals that occupy a wide altitudinal range—from high-altitude grasslands to lower montane forests—and move freely between cloud forests and puna grasslands. Also known as the spectacled bear, this species plays a crucial role in dispersing the seeds of trees and shrubs.
However, climate change is forcing flora and fauna to shift at unprecedented rates. The exact impacts on Andean bears remain uncertain. Understanding their migratory movements, interactions with people, and responses to a changing climate is therefore essential for developing effective conservation strategies.
Project Areas
Instalando cámaras trampa en bosque ribereño de la
comunidad de Juan Velasco Alvarado. (Foto por Ruthmery Pillco / ACCA).
Using Conservation Technologies to Understand the Lives of Andean Bears in the Peruvian Andes
To understand how bears and other vertebrates use different habitats and elevations throughout the year, we are conducting a large-scale altitudinal study supported by a series of remote expeditions. During these expeditions, along our biological stations, we are installing camera traps at elevations ranging from 3,800 to 900 meters above sea level, which operate year-round.
Along this altitudinal gradient, we study the bear’s diet by collecting scat and plant remains they have consumed. These samples are identified using both traditional techniques and DNA analysis.
Así podemos identificar las especies de plantas más importantes para la supervivencia de los osos andinos. Y después emplear estas plantas en nuestro proyecto de regeneración del bosque nuboso amazónico, en las comunidades aledañas de la parte alta y baja del Parque Nacional del Manu.
Regeneration of the Amazonian Cloud Forest
The Amazonian cloud forest faces multiple threats. At higher elevations, burning activities are prevalent, while at lower elevations, vegetation is increasingly affected by climate change.
Reforesting the upper limits of the cloud forest and controlling burning activities in the Amazon basin are urgent priorities.
Identifying the most effective approaches—both in forestry techniques and community participation—is essential. These cloud forests are rich in endemic species and play a critical role in the hydrology of the Amazon basin, which holds the world’s largest concentration of freshwater, terrestrial carbon biomass, and biodiversity.
Primera campaña de plantación en las comunidades campesinas Jajahuana y Juan Velasco Alvarado del distrito de Challabamba. (Fotos por Efrain Zegarra Onofre / ACCA).
Our main goal is to restore degraded Andean bear habitats and protect and rehabilitate the headwaters of micro-watersheds that supply water to the rural communities of Juan Velasco Alvarado and Jajahuana through restoration activities in Andean–Amazonian ecosystems.
This project is a joint initiative of Conservación Amazónica – ACCA, the international program Acción Andina, and the Regional Office of Agriculture and Irrigation. To date, four nurseries have been established: two in the community of Juan Velasco Alvarado, one in Jajahuana, and one at the Wayqecha Biological Station. In 2021, these nurseries produced and reforested 80,000 seedlings of native species such as Polylepis pauta, Polylepis incana (“qeuña”), Alnus acuminata (“aliso”), Escallonia resinosa (“chachacomo”), Morella pubescens (“yuruma”), and Podocarpus oleifolius (“intimpa”), among others.
Festival de la Queuña del Oso en el vivero Cabracancha de la comunidad campesina Juan Velasco Alvarado del distrito de Challabamba. (Fotos por Efrain Zegarra Onofre / ACCA).
Promoting Coexistence Between Humans and Wildlife
Encouraging local, national, and international audiences to recognize the importance of the Andean bear, forest ecosystems, and the services they provide is essential.
We have recently opened the “Ukuku” Andean Bear Interpretation Center to the public, located just five minutes from the Wayqecha Biological Station. This center serves as a foundation for engaging local communities in ecotourism and offers an ideal space to connect people with nature. Over the next two years, we will continue to expand community participation.
Engaging local Quechua speakers in our project helps raise awareness about bear populations and the threats they face, which is essential for their survival.
Our partners include the rural communities of Juan Velasco Alvarado and Jajahuana, with support from the Stadler Foundation, the International Conservation Fund of Canada (ICFC), the International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA), the international initiative Acción Andina, Global Forest Generation, Ecosistemas Andinos – ECOAN, and the Regional Office of Agriculture and Irrigation (GERAGRI).
Andean Bear Interpretation Center
An ideal space for environmental education and citizen science that connects people with nature. Located just five minutes from the Wayqecha Biological Station, it offers visitors a unique experience through exhibits featuring illustrations, sculptures, iconography, photographs, and videos that provide information on the Andean bear’s habitat, diet, geographic distribution, and conservation status known as ukuku in Quechua.
The Andean Bear Interpretation Center is open to local, national, and international visitors, including students, Indigenous and rural communities, researchers, tourists, naturalists, and anyone interested in this one-of-a-kind experience.
Contact us at: reservas@conservacionamazonica.org.
Programa de Conservación del Oso Andino
Strategic Allies and Partners
