Mysterious Two young spectacled bears prance through their enclosure at Zurich Zoo
The two young spectacled bears Auki and Amaru discover the enclosure at Zurich Zoo with their mother Rica.
Image: Keystone
The offspring were born in January. Spectacled bears are the only large bears in South America.
Image: Keystone
The two young spectacled bears Auki and Amaru discover the enclosure at Zurich Zoo with their mother Rica.
Image: Keystone
The offspring were born in January. Spectacled bears are the only large bears in South America.
Image: Keystone
There are offspring in the enclosure of the spectacled bears at Zurich Zoo: nine-year-old bear Rica became a mother for the first time in January. It takes two years to raise the cubs.
20.05.2026, 10:38
20.05.2026, 12:01
SDA
A few days ago, two spectacled bear cubs curiously wandered through the enclosure. As Zurich Zoo announced on Wednesday, the two spectacled bears Auki and Amaru were born at the end of January.
The initially blind, almost hairless and helpless spectacled bears spent the first three months together with their mother Rica in the whelping box in the background. According to zoo director Severin Dressen, the two male spectacled bears are developing very well.
Over the next two years, they will learn from their mother how to climb trees safely, where to find food and everything else important for spectacled bears. They share their habitat at the zoo with the white-trunked coatis. We still have to get to know them too.
The only large bears in South America
Their father came to Zurich Zoo from the USA two years ago. He carries genetics that were not previously represented in the European conservation breeding program. This is particularly valuable for the reserve population.
This is because spectacled bears are considered endangered. The species is dependent on intact and extensive forest areas, which are, however, becoming increasingly scarce. They inhabit the mountain and cloud forests of the Andes and the grasslands and scrublands of the high Andes. They are the only large bears in South America.
Another problem is that parts of the animals are used for traditional medicine. Another problem is the trade in young animals in particular for the illegal pet market. Because spectacled bears only have one or two cubs in several years, they can hardly compensate for the losses. The remaining population is estimated at less than 25,000 animals.
