Happy Bear Day
1st Apr 2023
10th May marks Happy Bears’ Day – A day to celebrate the eight bear species of the world. Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm is home to a family of four Spectacled Bears, otherwise known as Andean Bears. The bears at Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm are ambassadors for their wild counterparts in South America. They inspire and educate visitors about the importance of their species and habitat as well as their need for conservation.
On 5th April, Robyn and Alex from the Spectacled Bear Conservation Charity (SBC) visited Noah's Ark Zoo Farm to meet the spectacled bears and the Zoo's staff. The visit marked an ongoing relationship between the Spectacled Bear Charity and Noah's Ark Zoo Farm, aimed at advancing conservation efforts for spectacled bears. Their trip coincided with the Zoo announcing its new charitable status.
Robyn and Alex, who travelled all the way from Peru to the UK, shared SBC's conservation aims and expertise with the staff at Noah's Ark Zoo Farm. Spectacled bears are the only bear species native to South America and are listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. They face numerous threats, including habitat loss, poaching, and climate change.
During their visit, Robyn and Alex had the opportunity to meet the Spectacled bears at Noah's Ark Zoo Farm and learn about the Zoo's ongoing conservation efforts for these magnificent animals. The Zoo's dedicated team works tirelessly to provide a safe and enriched environment for the bears, as well as raising awareness about the conservation efforts of the species.
“It was a real joy and privilege to have Alex and Robyn visit us and our bears. It was incredible to hear them talk about wild bears in comparison to our bears. It was very reassuring and made me proud of what we are achieving with our Andean bear family. It was eye-opening listening to everything they had to say and highlighted how important it is to pass their message onto our visitors and do all we can to save the Andean Bear. Their passion, knowledge, and experience are truly invaluable to the species.” Said Emma, Lead Bear Keeper.
SBC and Noah's Ark Zoo Farm are excited about the long-standing partnership to benefit Spectacled bears both in the wild and in captivity and to help raise awareness about the importance of conserving Spectacled bears and their habitat.
The visit by SBC to Noah's Ark Zoo Farm marks an important step towards strengthening conservation efforts for Spectacled bears. Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm have been supporting the Charity since 2022 raising funds and awareness for the Charity’s ongoing conservation efforts through events, educational sessions and selling Felti bears which are created by the communities supported by the Charity.
The hope of the team at Noah’s Ark is that they will be able to inspire future generations with the passion shared by the team at Spectacled Bear Conservation.