Andean bears at the National Zoo have been named.
(Courtesy Smithsonian’s National Zoo/Abby Wood)
Courtesy Smithsonian’s National Zoo/Abby Wood
Information about the bears’ behavior will be shared with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Andean bears are listed as as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.
(Connor Mallon/National Zoo)
Connor Mallon/National Zoo
Andean bears are known as being loving and happy, seeking harmony and balance in nature, the National Zoo says.
(Connor Mallon/National Zoo)
Connor Mallon/National Zoo
Andean bears have beige “spectacles” that encircle their eyes, giving each individual a unique set of markings. That’s why they are known as spectacled bears.
(Connor Mallon/National Zoo)
Connor Mallon/National Zoo
Andean bears live in the Andes and outlying mountain ranges—from western Venezuela through the Andes in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and ending in northwest Argentina.
(Connor Mallon/National Zoo)
Connor Mallon/National Zoo
The cubs were born to 8-year-old mother Billie Jean and 21-year-old father Cisco Nov. 10 and 11, 2014.
(Connor Mallon/National Zoo)
Connor Mallon/National Zoo
The cub names will be announced just before they make their public debut,
(Connor Mallon/National Zoo)
Connor Mallon/National Zoo
The cubs are now 18 weeks old.
(Connor Mallon/National Zoo)
Connor Mallon/National Zoo
The cubs are now 18 weeks old.
(Connor Mallon, Smithsonian’s National Zoo)
Connor Mallon, Smithsonian’s National Zoo
Andean bears are South America’s only bears.
(Courtesy Flickr/National Zoo)
WASHINGTON (AP) – Two Andean bear cubs are set to make their public debut Saturday at the National Zoo.
The zoo says the 19-week-old male cubs have been acclimating to their yard and all the new sights and smells since early March. They’ve also been learning behaviors to help staff at the zoo evaluate their health.
The cubs were born at the zoo in November and were named Mayni and Muniri after a public vote. Mayni means “unique” and Muniri means “loving.”
The zoo says the cubs are among just five surviving litters born in North American zoos in the past decade.
Andean bears live in the Andean region in South America and are considered a vulnerable species. The zoo says habitat destruction and wildlife tracking are their greatest threats.
