This bear is considered «shy» and very little is known about its life in the wild.
A new study in Peru showed that more points in the country live in the country than previously considered.
Biologists went to the Peruvian Andes in search of a yellow-tailed monkey-the most important endemic of these forests, but residents and ecologists reported that bears are regularly found here.
This forced the team to revise the priorities of the expedition: the detection of point bears is just as unique.
The point bear is considered «shy»: very little is known about his life in the wild. The beast was so skillfully hiding from people that until the mid-2000s it was mistaken that it leads a night lifestyle.
Meanwhile, this is the only type of bear that lives in South America, and it belongs to the so-called «umbrella» animals: this is the name of the species of animals or plants, the protection of which directly contributes to the protection of other species. In this ecosystem.
The point bear is vulnerable; He is threatened by poaching and loss of habitat.
During the observation period, the bear caught the eye of a person several times, including four individuals in one day who were registered at once.
Bears were individually identified on the basis of the unique design of their muzzle. The data obtained made it possible to calculate the population density: more than 10 bears per 100 square km. This is more than half the previous data!
Another interesting discovery is a meeting with the Golden Bear.
Usually, the fur of the point bear is almost completely black, and seeing a real golden bear with your own eyes is an «amazing experience», scientists say.
Further research will be required to find out how common the unusual coloring in this population is and how it is caused.
Experts note that their research is carried out in a limited territory and does not necessarily apply to large spaces.
However, the fact that these bears appear in groups can be taken into account when they are preserved, which means that they need more space.
