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Groundbreaking Use of Collar Camera Technology by National Geographic Explorers Reveals the Hidden World of Andean Bears Like Never Before
Footage reveals new insights into these elusive bears’ social and dietary behaviors and provides critical data for improved conservation efforts of
an endangered species
Buffer Zone of Manu National Park, Peru - 2023/06/01: A portrait of an Andean bear, with a critter-cam attached, in the tropical Andes.
Elias Condori Cuti/National Geographic
Peru (December 4, 2024) — New findings published today in the Journal of Ecology and Evolution, have shed light on South America’s only species of bear, the elusive Andean bear, detailing many rare and previously undocumented behaviors using innovative technology.
As part of the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Amazon Expedition, National Geographic Explorers Ruthmery Pillco Huarcaya and Andrew Whitworth alongside scientists from Conservacion Amazonica, Norma Mamani, Mark Thomas and Elias Condori, used GPS-enabled collar cameras to document Andean bears like never before providing footage from a “bear's-eye view” on their movements and behaviors.
Notably difficult to track and study due to their habitat, this groundbreaking use of collar camera technology with Andean bears has expanded our understanding of their movements and behaviors. Pillco Huarcaya and Whitworth have discovered valuable insight into the Andean bears feeding habits, habitat use, mating and social interactions. Using camera data to ground truth against GPS locations, and simultaneously gather signals in accelerometer data, allowed the team to build verified models to establish wildlife activity and behaviors.
Buffer Zone of Manu National Park, Peru - 2024/02/12: A male Andean bear, and his paw.
Credit: Ruthmery Pillco Huarcaya/National Geographic
“What we’ve been able to learn through the use of the collar cameras completely changes the way we study Andean bears,” says Pillco Huarcaya. “In a relatively short period of time, it has opened up an exciting window into the world of this enigmatic and iconic species. Informed by these findings and continued research, we can better improve conservation efforts by providing invaluable insights into the behavior, natural history, and ecological needs and benefits of Andean bears.”
The footage from collar cameras revealed a wealth of novel insights, including:
- Andean bears interacting within their species outside of mating or child rearing.
- Andean bears consuming over 21 different plant species, a key indicator of their dietary and altitudinal range throughout the cloud forest.
- The first recorded incidents of Andean bears mating in the canopy.
- The first recorded case of Andean bears engaging in geophagy, the consumption of soil and/or clay.
- The second recorded instance of any bear species feeding on a non-human primate.
- Potentially the first case of Andean bear infanticide as footage shows the cannibalization a cub-sized bear.
Pillco Huarcaya and Whitworth spent the past three years studying the life cycle of the Andean bear throughout the Kosñipata Valley in the buffer zone of Manu National Park in southeastern Peru. Because Andean bears’ habitat spans elevations ranging from 200 to 4000 meters – highly unique altitudinal and landscape variants – they play a crucial role in maintaining the health of the Amazon’s cloud forest ecosystem by passively regenerating the forests through dispersing seeds from the plants they consume as they migrate.
“These new insights into Andean bears provide us with a chance to better understand one of the ecosystem engineers shaping the cloud forest and use that knowledge to more effectively protect this keystone species and their habitat,” said Ian Miller, Chief Science and Innovation Officer at the National Geographic Society. “That is what the work of the Perpetual Planet Amazon Expedition is all about — using cutting-edge technology to enrich our scientific understanding of the wonder of the world and drive innovative solutions to protect our planet.”
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About Perpetual Planet Expeditions
The National Geographic Perpetual Planet Expeditions program, a long-standing collaboration with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative, supports expeditions to explore the planet’s most critical environments. By harnessing world-renowned scientific expertise and cutting-edge technology that reveal new insights about the systems that are vital to life on Earth, these expeditions help scientists, decision-makers, and local communities plan for and find solutions to the impacts of climate and environmental change while illuminating the wonder of our world through impactful storytelling.
About The National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization that uses the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. Since 1888, National Geographic has pushed the boundaries of exploration, investing in bold people and transformative ideas, providing more than 15,000 grants for work across all seven continents, reaching 3 million students each year through education offerings, and engaging audiences around the globe through signature experiences, stories and content.
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