El Oso Andino (Tremarctos Ornatus) Fuera de las Areas Protegidas en Colombia

The Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus; 70-195 kg; VU) is the only actual South American bear and its habitat comprises Andean forests. The expansion of the agricultural frontier, the conflict retaliation hunting, the road infrastructure, and the lack of effective preservation practices are its threats. The mountain ranges cover 31.3% of the Colombian territory over 400 m.a.s.l., and constitute the backbone of its river structure. It has 326 Protected Areas (AP’s): 66 nationally, 170 regionally, and 90 locally, which take up 49,528.64 km2, 10.3 % of the Colombian Andean region. 166,779 km2 belong to natural forests, of which 23.63% are protected. 76.4% of the bear habitats are under the responsibility of 27 Regional Autonomous Corporations (CAR’s). Potential habitats are located in 83 patches. The habitat patches that cover a continuous altitudinal gradient are located on both the Andean Pacific and Amazon watersheds, which are threatened by illegal crops, the armed conflict, and the development of road infrastructure without environmental protection planning. Only one patch is wider than 5,000 km2, and eight National Parks have areas between 1,000 and 5,000 km2. The preservation of the bear out of AP’s is a task under the responsibility of CAR’s, and only 4 of them have taken action.