They are the only bears found in South America. They are found in the rain forests and cloud forests of Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. They are found in altitudes of 6000 to 8000 feet.

These bears are black or brown, have a distinctive band around their eyes which gives them an appearance of bears with spectacles.These markings are creamish to yellow in colour.

The males weigh about 100 to 155 kilograms and the females about 64 to 82 kilograms.The females attain sexual maturity between the ages of 4 and 7 years. The mating period is generally May - June and Nov - Feb. They generally have up to 3 cubs. These bears feed on a variety of food ranging from mice, rabbits, birds, berries, grasses, leaves, fruits, eggs, lizards, small vertebrates, termites, nuts, seeds, etc. These bears generally build their nests on tree tops.

Conservation status : They are listed as Appendix I in CITES and is also listed as vulnerable in the IUCN.