Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm champions spectacled bear conservation efforts at Bristol Bears women's match

Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm, a Zoo and conservation charity based in North Somerset, cheered on the Bristol Bears Women’s Rugby team and raised awareness and funds for spectacled bear conservation at the season opener last weekend.

The Zoo, known for its dedication to the conservation of endangered species, actively champions the cause of spectacled bear conservation and supports the vital work of the Spectacled Bear Conservation Society (SBC). SBC is working to protect spectacled bears in Peru through community empowerment, scientific research and habitat protection.

The spectacled bear, native solely to South America, faces an uncertain future due to habitat loss and climate change, with as few as 2,500 mature individuals thought to remain in the wild. Noah's Ark actively raises awareness for this species, aiming to shed light on the plight of these bears and to generate vital funds to support SBC’s conservation efforts.

Noah’s Ark is home to a family of spectacled bears, including a breeding pair, Madidi and Rasu, and their twin cubs Tuichi and Beni.

During the Bristol Bears Women's match on Saturday 18 November, Noah's Ark hosted an interactive willow weaving enrichment-making session. The hands-on activity, in which match spectators created some delicious enrichment for the Noah’s Ark bear family, not only educated about this incredible species but also served as a platform to raise funds. Visitors were also invited to participate in a ‘Feed the Bear’ game which gave insight into the diets of the family of bears at the Zoo.

SBC’s latest research project aims to identify how wild bears use and interact with their habitat in and around the Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary, by deploying GPS tracking collars across the bear population. These cutting-edge tracking collars, which cost $5,000 each, provide a ‘bear’s-eye view’ of the habitat. The data will provide crucial insight into SBC’s habitat conservation strategies in support of their long-term goal to collaborate with the Peruvian government and local Indigenous communities to create a 1.5 million acre UNESCO Biosphere Reserve surrounding Machu Picchu. 

Larry Bush, Managing Director of Noah's Ark, commented, "It’s incredibly important we do our part to protect these brilliant bears in the wild. We were really pleased to attend the Bristol Bears event and help raise awareness and funds to support the conservation of spectacled bears.

Bush continued The bears at Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm play two vital roles in conservation – firstly, they are part of the international breeding programme which helps to protect the Spectacled Bear species, and secondly they are ambassadors for their wild counterparts in South America. They inspire and educate our visitors about the importance of the species and habitat, as well as their need for conservation. By supporting this cause, the Zoo strives to ensure the survival and thriving existence of this vulnerable species for generations to come.”