Which bear is native to South America?

The spectacled bear is the bear native to South America.

Also called the Andean bear, the spectacled bear lives mainly along the Andes in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and northwestern Argentina. It is the only living bear species naturally found in South America. Its scientific name is Tremarctos ornatus, and pale markings around the face, eyes, chest, or throat give some individuals a spectacle-like appearance.

Spectacled bears occupy a remarkable range of habitats, including cloud forests, high-altitude páramo grasslands, dry forests, and scrublands. Although they can climb well and sometimes build feeding platforms in trees, they spend much of their time foraging on the ground. Their diet is mostly plant-based, with fruit, bromeliads, palm parts, and other vegetation forming much of it; meat makes up only a small portion.

A frequent confusion comes from the bear's name: “spectacled” describes its facial markings, not its habitat. The species is also evolutionarily distinctive as the last surviving member of the short-faced bear lineage, while several related South American bears disappeared near the end of the Ice Age.