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The Spectacled Bear is, for a bear, a relatively small bear that is native to South America. It is given its name because of the coloring on its face that makes it appear as if the bear is wearing glasses. The Spectacled Bear is also called the Andean Bear because it can be found around the Andes Mountains.

The Spectacled Bear is endangered for two reasons. First, its natural habitat is being decimated by logging and farming. As the loss of habitat and natural food sources have disappeared the bears have been forced to adapt. Some farmers have accused Spectacled Bears of being the culprits in attacks on livestock. This has led to some hunting of “renegade” bears. It is thought, however, that the Spectacled Bear eats very little meat.

The second reason that the Spectacled Bear is endangered is because of its organs. As with most bears, the internal organs, most notably the gall bladder and liver are considered parts of traditional native or even Chinese medicine. The value of the bears has created a black market in which live bears can often fetch more money so that their organs can be harvested by faith healers or medicine men.