NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Two Andean bear cubs born at the Queens Zoo have left their den to make their public debut.
The cubs, a male and female, have yet to be named but were born this summer to mom, Nicole and dad, Bouba.
“After spending their first months in a den nursing and bonding with their mother, the cubs have now started to venture into the zoo’s outdoor bear habitat and are actively exploring their new surroundings,” the Queens Zoo said in a press release Tuesday.
Visitors at the zoo will be able to see the new cubs out and about, but exhibit times may vary as the siblings continue to get acclimated to their environment.
According to the zoo, the cubs are Nicole and Bouba’s third successful litter and the two have produced five offspring.
The zoo has been breeding Andean bears as part of the Species Survival Plan (SSP), as the species has been classified as vulnerable for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is estimated that fewer than 18,000 remain in the wild.
“Andean bears face significant challenges in the wild due to habitat fragmentation and poaching,” said Mike Allen, director of the Queens Zoo. “It’s important for us to invest both in conservation programs to protect them in their native habitat and to maintain a healthy insurance population in zoos.”
“These youngsters will surely captivate our guests and help people make a connection with the species,” Allen added.
Andean bears are the only bears that are native to South America and are sometimes referred to as “spectacles bears,” because of markings around their eyes that can resemble eyeglasses.
According to the Queens Zoo, the bears have short faces and are relatively small in comparison to other species with adult males weighing between 250-350 pounds and adult females weighing around 200 pounds.
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