Tracking Andean bears to protect their habitat

Since 2020, Becky Zug and Santiago Molina have led the USFQ team that initiated the study of Andean bears by placing camera traps in the buffer zone of the Antisana Ecological Reserve, where the Chakana Reserve is located. This work is being carried out in coordination with our conservation team and park rangers.

"Through the camera trap study, we identified 17 individuals of Andean bears, adults and cubs. Some individuals use Chakana as part of their permanent range, while others appear to be just passing through. We also found tapirs, pumas, and other species in this landscape. So we confirmed that this is an important buffer zone for the Antisana National Park and wanted to continue to understand how Andean bears are using the area, where they are moving to, and what is the best to protect them," says Becky Zug, USFQ professor and director of the Carnivore Lab.

In Ecuador, it is estimated that approximately 50% of the Andean bear population lives outside protected areas, so our Chakana reserve and also neighboring areas play a crucial role. Therefore, in order to have a better understanding of how Andean bears move and to be able to focus protection actions, joint efforts focused on the placement of GPS collars. Attempts began in 2023, using data from 2020 and 2021 to determine where to find the bears.

Park rangers from our Chakana reserve supported the field, reporting the presence of individuals, and were also trained in the collection and analysis of camera trap data. In addition, veterinarians from the TUERI-USFQ Wildlife Hospital and Andrés Laguna, an expert in large mammals from the Prefectura de Ibarra, participated in the team and provided support with his experience in capturing Andean bears.

"So far, we have captured two bears. The first was a cub we saw in early 2023 with its mother. A few months later, we saw him alone. The females leave the cubs when they are old enough to be alone. He and his brother stayed at Chakana. He was too small to put a GPS collar on him, but we took genetic samples that helped us know the health of the bear population in the area. Jocotoco park rangers and the USFQ team named this cub Sunfo," Becky points out.

A few days ago, the team was able to place the first GPS collar on an adult Andean bear, born in Chakana, and to whom Fernando Males, park ranger of our reserve, gave the name Rayito in 2016 when he saw him for the first time with his mother. 

"I was very happy to see that Rayito was the first bear to be collared. I was surprised to see how much he had grown. I recognize him by a spot on his forehead. I have seen him here in Chakana since he was with his mother and played in the páramo. Then, he started to live alone as an adult, and a year ago, I saw him with a female bear. I am very happy to have been so close, to see his huge paws, and to understand why he is a magnificent climber. It's good to know that we will protect him better," says Fernando.

"We are very excited to use the GPS collar data to understand how Rayito uses this landscape. He left Chakana for about five months and then came back. It was an extraordinarily dry summer, and it's possible that these changes in the weather are stronger. To protect the Andean bears during this time, we need to know how they are affected and where they go in times of low food. We are really excited about the placement of this first collar and will continue to try another capture in the coming months. The GPS collars will help us better understand the movement corridors of Andean bears in this area and how to protect them" concludes Becky.

These excellent results commit us to continue developing actions for the protection and conservation of the Andean bear and other species such as the Andean condor, the mountain tapir, the peregrine falcon, the puma or the white-tailed deer that, thanks to the support of our donors, have a safe space of more than 5,000 hectares in the Chakana reserve.