What is the only bear species native to South America?

The only bear species native to South America is the spectacled bear.

Also called the Andean bear, the spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus) lives chiefly in the Andes of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and northwestern Argentina. Pale markings on its face, throat, and chest can resemble spectacles, although each bear’s pattern is unique and some have very little facial marking.

Unlike the polar bear or panda, the spectacled bear is not restricted to one highly specialized habitat. It can occupy cloud forests, high-altitude páramo grasslands, dry forests, and scrub. It is an agile climber and may build platforms in trees for resting or storing food. Its diet is mostly plant-based, including fruit, bromeliads, palms, and other vegetation, though it occasionally eats animal matter.

The species is the last surviving member of the short-faced bear subfamily, Tremarctinae. A common error is to confuse it with the American black bear, whose range reaches North America but not South America. Habitat loss, road construction, farming, and conflict with people have fragmented its range, and the IUCN lists the spectacled bear as Vulnerable.