Spectacled Bear Conservation (SBC) is leading conservation and protection efforts for spectacled bears within Machu Picchu in Peru. Little is known about these bears living amongst the UNESCO World Heritage site that is visited by thousands of people a day.
SBC has worked with the Peruvian government since 2023 to ensure that the spectacled bears living near these ancient ruins are preserved along with them. In May 2024, SBC deployed the first ever GPS collars on two spectacled bears in Machu Picchu. This was done with the hopes that tracking them would lead to identifying key breeding and feeding grounds. SBC also previously installed over 200 camera traps in the area to track the bears and other wildlife in an effort to help this area be declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, which will protect millions of acres of land for the bears and other wildlife. This in turn will help to prevent future habitat loss due to tourist development.
SBC analyzed the findings from these camera traps. The study was a major success—they found that 30% of the cameras were able to detect the elusive bear, and their goal was 20%. The cameras recorded 43 individuals, including 37 bears with six cubs. The locations that detected the highest presence of female bears have been identified as probable sites to deploy more GPS collars for continued monitoring. The cameras also recorded the discovery of several species never recorded in Machu Picchu before, including the pacarana, the kinkajou, and the northern tiger cat.
These hopeful developments were slightly undercut by the lack of bear presence near human settlements or livestock grazing areas, indicating that pressures from tourism and unsustainable development are having an impact on the bear population.
This study is crucial because the data collected will contribute to longer term monitoring of the bears at Machu Picchu. SBC will continue their camera trap and GPS collaring efforts to make Machu Picchu a safe haven for bears.