Four new species of tarantulas, including one new genus, have been described from India’s Western Ghats mountains.
A concerning trend shows that 25% of newly described tarantula species since 2000 have appeared in the pet trade, with some appearing for sale within months of being scientifically described.
Tarantulas face dual threats from illegal collection for the pet trade and habitat loss in the Western Ghats, where many are found only in small patches of remaining forest surrounded by tea plantations.
These spiders serve as important predators and indicators of healthy habitats in their ecosystems, but are particularly vulnerable due to their slow reproduction rates and the difficulty in detecting them during smuggling attempts.
A researcher described four new species of tarantulas, including one new genus, from India’s Western Ghats, a chain of mountains running along the country’s west coast.
“Most people in India are not even aware that there are tarantulas in India when there are more than 60 species in the country,” Zeeshan Mirza, from the Max Planck Institute for Biology in Germany, who found and described the species, told Mongabay.
The large, fuzzy spiders live in tree hollows, along streams and forest paths, and in forest patches. They exhibit interesting behaviors, such as females carrying their egg sacs under their mouth parts (or chelicerae) or creating hammock-like web structures to protect their eggs.
Zeeshan Mirza with one of the new tarantula species from the Western Ghats. Mirza has discovered several species of reptiles in India as well. Photo courtesy of Mirza.
One of the new species, named Haploclastus bratocolonus (meaning “tree dweller”), makes its home in hollow trees along rivers. Another species, Haploclastus montanus, was found living at elevations higher than 2,000 meters (6,600 feet) in mountain forests, making it one of the highest-living tarantulas known from the region. Some of the new species were found in the rare small fragments of remaining shola forest surrounded by tea plantations.
Among the species was an entirely new genus of tarantulas called Cilantica, named after the Tamil word for spider. They can be identified by the unique scattered pattern of curved bristles on their bodies, unlike the C-shaped arrangement of bristles found in other tarantulas.
Tarantulas serve important roles in their forest homes, acting as biological pest controllers and preying on smaller invertebrates and vertebrates. “They also form part of the diet of other species like spider wasps and small carnivores,” Mirza said. “They are keystone species and indicators of undisturbed habitats.”
A female Haploclastus montanus, a new species of tarantula found in the Western Ghats. Photo courtesy of Zeeshan Mirza The burrow of a newly described tarantula genus in the Western Ghats if India. Photo courtesy of Zeeshan Mirza.
However, there’s trouble for tarantulas across the globe. A recent study reveals that 25% of all newly described tarantula species since 2000 have ended up in the international pet trade, meaning many spiders could be at risk from collectors before we can fully understand them
Alice Hughes, a biologist at the University of Hong Kong who studies the global trade in arachnids, found that rare spiders often appear for sale shortly after being scientifically described. Her research revealed that an estimated 1,264 arachnid species are currently traded worldwide.
More than 73% of arachnid species sold online aren’t listed in international trade monitoring systems, according to Hughes’s research. “For most of these species we don’t have the data, but we’re also focusing so much on species like elephants, that we’ve forgotten that literally 99.9% of [arachnid] species are not getting the level of attention they deserve,” she said.
Cilantica agasthyaensis is one of the new species included in a new genus of trantulas from the Western Ghats. Photo courtesy of Zeeshan Mirza.
The problem is made worse because detecting a smuggled tarantula is difficult. “Tarantulas cannot be detected easily through X-ray-based screening at airports as they lack bones,” Mirza said.
He added the speed at which newly discovered species can end up in the pet trade is alarming. For example, the tarantula Haploclastus devamatha was described from the Indian state of Kerala in 2014, and within eight months was being “sold in several online pet stores,” he said. “Even now, many pet stores have this species on sale on their websites.”
Tarantulas are especially vulnerable to overcollection because they reproduce slowly and live a long time (10-20 years or more). Many species are found only in small areas, meaning too much collecting could wipe out entire populations.
“As a researcher, I am worried about the fate of the new species I described,” Mirza said.
Silent Valley National Park in India’s Western Ghats. Some of the mountain range is protected, but many areas face threats from development and hunting. Photo courtesy of Zeeshan Mirza.
The discovery of the new tarantula species underscores both the region’s biological richness and the ongoing need for conservation efforts. The Western Ghats, recognized as a biodiversity hotspot, harbor numerous endemic species found nowhere else on Earth. While parts of it are protected, the ecosystem faces threats from deforestation, agriculture and climate change. The paper suggests that these tarantulas could serve as flagship species for invertebrate conservation in the Western Ghats.
To protect these spiders, Mirza suggested several solutions. People living in areas with tarantulas can help by reporting illegal collection to forest departments. He also recommended better training for customs and airport security, possibly including sniffer dogs to detect smuggled spiders.
For tarantula enthusiasts, Mirza offered clear advice: “Tarantula enthusiasts can be more responsible and only choose species that have been captive-bred and are not sourced illegally.”
Banner image of Zeeshan Mirza, with one of the four new tarantula species he found in India’s Western Ghats.
Liz Kimbrough is a staff writer for Mongabay and holds a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Tulane University, where she studied the microbiomes of trees. View more of her reporting here.
Mirza ZA (2024) Systematics of the Western Ghats endemic tarantula subfamily Thrigmopoeinae with the description of a new genus and four new species. Travaux du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle “Grigore Antipa” 67(2): 183-234. https://doi.org/10.3897/travaux.67.e112517
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Scientists described numerous new species this past year, the world’s smallest otter in India, a fanged hedgehog from Southeast Asia, tree-dwelling frogs in Madagascar, and a new family of African plants.
Experts estimate that fewer than 20% of Earth’s species have been documented by Western science, with potentially millions more awaiting discovery.
Although species may be new to science, many are already known to local and Indigenous peoples and have traditional names and uses.
Upon discovery, many new species are assessed as threatened with extinction, highlighting the urgent need for conservation efforts.
A giant anaconda, a vampire hedgehog, a dwarf squirrel, and a tiger cat were among the new species named by science in 2024. Found from the depths of the Pacific Ocean to the mountaintops of Southeast Asia, each new species shows us that even our well-known world contains unexplored chambers of life.
This year, in Peru’s Alto Mayo Landscape alone, scientists uncovered 27 new-to-science species, including four new mammals, during a two month expedition. Meanwhile, the Greater Mekong region yielded 234 new species, and scientists from the California Academy of Sciences described 138 new species globally. The ocean depths continued to surprise, with more than 100 potentially new species found on an unexplored underwater mountain off Chile’s coast. Two new mammal species were found in India this year, including the world’s smallest otter.
Scientists estimate only a small fraction of Earth’s species have been documented, perhaps 20% at best. Even among mammals, the best-known group of animals, scientists think we’ve only found 80% of species. Yet most of the hidden species are likely bats, rodents, shrews, moles and hedgehogs.
Members of Indigenous Awajun communities in Peru’s Alto Mayo assist scientists with their research, such as throwing cast nets to capture fish. 68 fish species were collected, including eight that are new to science. Photo courtesy of Conservation International/ Trond Larsen.
However, while species may be new to Western science, many have been well known to Indigenous peoples and local communities for generations. These communities often maintain sophisticated classification systems and deep ecological knowledge about species’ behaviors, uses and roles in local ecosystems.
“For example, the blob-headed fish, which is so bizarre and unusual, and scientists have never seen anything like it, but it’s very familiar to the Awajún,” Trond Larsen, the leader of the Alto Mayo expedition in Peru from the NGO Conservation International, told Mongabay. “They regularly catch and eat them.” Similarly, the ghost palm, newly named by scientists this year, has been used by Iban communities in Borneo for basketry and food for decades.
Unfortunately, many species may be threatened with extinction before they’re even formally named, victims of human activities like development and climate change. Some of these species could be foods or medicines for humans, but each has a unique role in Earth’s interconnected web of life.
“There is something immensely unethical and troubling about humans driving species extinct without ever even having appreciated their existence and given them consideration,” Walter Jetz, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Yale University, U.S., told Mongabay.
Here’s our look at some of the new-to-science species described in 2024:
The Greater Mekong region revealed some of the year’s most distinctive species. Local nature enthusiasts and researchers documented a hedgehog species with fang-like teeth, leading to its name vampire hedgehog (Hylomys macarong).
They also described a pit viper (Trimeresurus ciliaris) whose scales create the appearance of dramatic eyelashes, and a karst dragon lizard (Laodracon carsticola) first noticed by a local tour guide.
These findings illuminate the region’s rich biodiversity and conservation challenges, as many species face immediate threats from development and wildlife trafficking.
Northern green anaconda, a new species found in Ecuador, feeding on a large lizard. Photo by Jesus Rivas.
A significant discovery has been made in the Ecuadorian Amazon, where scientists have identified a new species of giant anaconda in the Bameno region of Baihuaeri Waorani Territory. During their research, the team encountered an impressive female specimen measuring 6.3 meters (20.7 feet) in length from head to tail, though local Indigenous communities report encountering even larger individuals. The species faces multiple threats throughout its range, from deforestation destroying their habitat to direct hunting by humans and environmental degradation from oil spills.
One of the newly named frogs, Guibemantis ambakoana. Ambakoana means ‘living within Pandanus’ in Malagasy. Image courtesy of Hugh Gabriel.
In Madagascar’s eastern rainforests, three frog species living in pandan trees received their first scientific descriptions. Known locally as sahona vakoa (pandan frogs), these amphibians complete their entire life cycle within the water-filled spaces between the plants’ spiky leaves. The species, now given the scientific names Guibemantis rianasoa, G. vakoa and G. ambakoana, exemplify how local ecological knowledge often precedes formal scientific documentation by generations.
A Chaunacops, a genus of bony fish in the sea toad family, seen at a depth of nearly 1,400 m (4,560 ft) on Seamount SF2 inside Nazca-Desventuradas Marine Park. Image courtesy of Schmidt Ocean Institute. CC BY-NC-SA A rarely seen Bathyphysa conifera, commonly known as flying spaghetti monster was documented on an unnamed and unexplored seamount along the Nazca Ridge off the coast of Chile. Image courtesy of ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).
An expedition in the Southeast Pacific discovered more than 100 potentially new-to-science species on a previously unknown underwater mountain, including deep-sea corals (order Scleractinia), glass sponges, sea urchins (class Echinoidea), amphipods (order Amphipoda) and squat lobsters (family Galatheidae).
The expedition also sighted rare creatures like the flying spaghetti monster (Bathyphysa conifera) and Casper octopus (genus Grimpoteuthis).
The seamount, rising about 3 kilometers (nearly 2 miles) from the seafloor, about 1,450 km (900 mi) off Chile’s coast, hosts thriving deep-sea ecosystems with ancient corals and glass sponges. The findings highlight the rich biodiversity of the high seas as the U.N. finalizes treaties to protect international waters.
A new-to-science frog species from Vietnam identified as the Mount Po Ma Lung toothed toad (Oreolalax adelphos). Image courtesy of Zoological Society of London.
Two new species of rare, toothed toads were discovered in Vietnam and China: the Mount Po Ma Lung toothed toad (Oreolalax adelphos) and the Yanyuan toothed toad (Oreolalax yanyuanensis). These amphibians are characterized by an unusual row of tiny teeth on the roof of their mouths. The discovery brings the total known toothed toad species to 21. However, more than half are already considered threatened due to habitat loss and degradation.
This ‘blob-headed’ fish (Chaetostoma sp.), is new to science and was a shocking discovery due to its enlarged blob-like head, a feature that the fish scientists have never seen before, even though this species is already familiar to the Indigenous Awajun people who worked with scientists. It is a type of bristlemouth armored catfish. Photo courtesy of Conservation International / Robinson Olivera. This dwarf squirrel species (Microsciurus sp.) is a very small squirrel that is difficult to spot in the rainforest where it moves quickly and hides among tree branches. After proper taxonomic revision, this species that is new to science will also belong to a new genus. Photo courtesy of Conservation International/Ronald Diaz. A semi-aquatic (amphibious) mouse (Daptomys sp.) that is new to science from Peru’s Alto Mayo. The species belongs to a group of rodents that is considered among the rarest in the world, and the few species that are known have only been observed a handful of times by scientists, with much still to be learned about their ecology. Photo courtesy of Conservation International/Ronald Diaz.
In Peru’s densely populated Alto Mayo region, home to 280,000 people, scientists working with local communities documented 27 species previously unknown to Western science.
The species included an amphibious mouse (Necromys aquaticus) found in just one patch of swamp forest; a fish with an unexplained blob-like head structure (Trichomycterus sp. nov.); an agile dwarf squirrel (Microsciurus sp. nov.); and a tree-climbing salamander (Bolitoglossa sp. nov.). These findings demonstrate how even human-modified landscapes can harbor biodiversity not yet documented by scientists.
Leopardus pardinoides, or the clouded tiger cat, as a new species. This small wildcat is found in the cloud forests of Costa Rica, south to Panama, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. Colombia and Costa Rica are key locations for the conservation. Image courtesy of Camilo Botero.
Scientists formally described a new small wild cat species, the clouded tiger cat (Leopardus pardinoides), found in high-altitude cloud forests from Central to South America. This taxonomic clarification has major conservation implications, as new data indicate all three tiger cat species have experienced dramatic range reductions, with the clouded tiger cat’s habitat particularly threatened by human activities.
The ghost palm (Plectocomiopsis hantu) from Borneo was already known to local communities. Benedikt Kuhnhäuser / RBG Kew
Though long used by local Iban communities in western Borneo for basketry and edible shoots, scientists finally gave a formal name to a distinctive rattan palm after 90 years. Named Plectocomiopsis hantu (“hantu” meaning ghost in Indonesian and Malay), the palm is known for its ghostly appearance, with white undersides to the leaves and gray stems. It’s currently known from only three locations in or near protected rainforest habitats.
Scientists named an entirely new family of plants, Afrothismiaceae, which have evolved to take all their nutrients from fungal partners rather than through photosynthesis. Found in African forests, these rare plants only appear above ground to fruit and flower. Most species in this family are extremely rare or possibly extinct, with the majority recorded only once in Cameroon.
Indonesia is home to exceptional biodiversity including the orchid Dendrobium cokronagoroi (left) and Mediocalcar gemma-corona (right), two of the five new orchids described from Indonesia. Photos courtesy of Jeffrey Champion and Andre Schuiteman RBG Kew.
The orchid family is immense, and new species are found most years. This year, researchers described five new species from islands throughout Indonesia. These are: Coelogyne albomarginata from Sumatra, Coelogyne spinifera from Seram, and Dendrobium cokronagoroi, the Dendrobium wanmae (a critically endangered species) and Mediocalcar gemma-coronae (endangered), all from western New Guinea.
The habitat of Chlorohiptage vietnamensis is being destroyed for the manufacture of cement. Photo courtesy of Truong VanDo/RBG Kew.
A new genus and species of green-flowered liana, Chlorohiptage vietnamensis, was discovered in Vietnam but is already assessed as critically endangered. Its limestone karst habitat is being cleared for quarries to make cement, threatening the only known population of this unique plant.
Small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus), the world’s tiniest otter species, photographed for the first time in Kaziranga. Photo courtesy of Arun Vignesh. Binturong (Arctictis binturong), the largest civet species, was also photographed for the first time in Kaziranga. Photo courtesy of Chirantanu Saikia.
Two new mammal species in were described in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, Northeast India’s biggest national park. A forest officer documented the presence of the small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus), the world’s tiniest otter species. The small-clawed otter, protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, joins two other otter species already known to inhabit Kaziranga.
The binturong (Arctictis binturong), an elusive nocturnal tree-dweller also known as the bearcat, was photographed by tour guide Chirantanu Saikia in January 2024. The binturong is found exclusively in Northeast India and requires dense forest canopy for survival. It has become increasingly rare due to deforestation.
While local residents had previously reported sightings of both species, these photographs provide the first concrete evidence of their presence in the park. Conservation officials believe these discoveries suggest the potential presence of other undocumented species within the park, highlighting the importance of continued wildlife surveys and protection efforts in the region.
Brachycephalus dacnis rests on a fingertip. Photo courtesy of Lucas Machado Botelho.
Scientists in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest described a remarkable new species of frog, Brachycephalus dacnis, measuring just 6.95 millimeters in length – about the size of a pencil eraser. Unlike other similarly tiny frogs that often struggle with balance, this species has maintained its inner ear structure, allowing it to jump gracefully up to 32 times its body length. The discovery in São Paulo state’s remaining Atlantic Forest highlights both the region’s rich biodiversity and the urgent need for conservation, as this critically threatened ecosystem now stands at just 13% of its original extent, potentially harboring many more undiscovered species.
Banner image of Leopardus pardinoides, or the clouded tiger cat, as a new species. This small wildcat is found in the cloud forests of Costa Rica, south to Panama, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. Image courtesy of Johanes Pfleiderer.
Liz Kimbrough is a staff writer for Mongabay and holds a Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology from Tulane University, where she studied the microbiomes of trees. View more of her reporting here.
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Endangered Polynesian storm petrels have returned to Kamaka Island in French Polynesia for the first time in more than 100 years, after conservationists used drones to remove the invasive rats eating the birds’ eggs and chicks.
Scientists attracted the birds back to the island using solar-powered speakers playing bird calls recorded from a neighboring island, with monitoring cameras showing regular visits, though nesting has not yet been confirmed.
The project demonstrates successful collaboration between international conservation groups and local communities, with the local Mangareva community’s knowledge and support proving crucial to the operation’s success.
The birds’ return could benefit the entire island ecosystem, as seabirds bring nutrients from the ocean that help sustain both terrestrial and marine life around the island.
Small seabirds skim the open ocean at night, patting their legs on the surface as they hunt for small fish. Now, for the first time in more than 100 years, endangered Polynesian storm petrels (Nesofregetta fuliginosa) have returned to a far-flung island in French Polynesia.
These rare birds began exploring Kamaka Island just three weeks after conservationists set up special equipment to attract them back, according to Coral Wolf, conservation science program manager at Island Conservation, the U.S.-based NGO overseeing the project.
“This remarkable progress brings hope for the future, as the Polynesian storm petrels reclaim their island home,” Tehotu Reasin, landowner of Kamaka Island, said in a statement. “These seabirds bring critical nutrients from the ocean to the island, which cascades down into the surrounding marine environment, benefiting fish and corals. The entire ecosystem can once again thrive.”
Gear and equipment arriving on Kamaka Island, French Polynesia for the restoration project. Image courtesy of Austin Hall/Island Conservation. A Polynesian storm petrels (Nesofregetta fuliginosa) flies over the open ocean near Rapa Iti Island, French Polynesia. Photo courtesy of Hadoram Shiriai.
Researchers estimate that numbers of storm petrels were once quite high on Kamaka Island, as a relatively large number of individuals were recovered from an archeological site on the island. However none have been seen on the island since 1922. Now, o<nly an estimated 250-1,000 mature individuals remain in the wild.
Getting the birds to return required solving a serious problem: invasive rats that had driven the ground-nesting birds to local extinction by preying on their eggs, chicks and even adult birds.
“A majority of extinctions occur on islands with invasive species, rats as a primary cause,” Sally Esposito, strategic communications director at Island Conservation, told Mongabay.
Kamaka Island measures only 0.5 square kilometers (0.2 square miles), about the size of the Vatican City, and is uninhabited by humans. However, attempts to remove rats from the island failed in 2015, largely due to its steep and challenging terrain.
In 2022, Island Conservation worked with ENVICO, an Aotearoa New Zealand-based drone company, to conduct more than 600 flights to spread rat poison across the island. As far as the team can tell from extensive surveying, the rats have been eradicated.
Kamaka was an ideal location for this type of intervention, says Island Conservation, because it has very few land birds and no other small mammals that could be affected by the rodenticide. “No native species were harmed during the removal of invasive rats from Kamaka Island,” Esposito said.
After confirming the rats were gone, the team focused on bringing the storm petrels back to Kamaka Island through social attraction or playing back the calls of a nearby colony to lure petrels in from the sea. To do so, they recorded the birds calling on Manui Island, about 800 meters, or half a mile away, where the storm petrels currently nest.
The conservation team also studied the birds’ preferred habitat on Manui Island and used this knowledge to create optimal nesting conditions on Kamaka. The team installed solar-powered speakers playing recorded bird calls from the Manui colony and built “luxury burrows” equipped with cameras to monitor birds’ activities.
“We’re looking for ridge lines where they could access the site, and then we’re also looking for certain vegetation characteristics,” Wolf told Mongabay. “You want enough trees that are creating [ground] burrowing habitat, but at the same time making sure that there aren’t too many trees that they can’t access those sites.”
The team also collected and planted native sedges and grasses while removing invasive trees to enhance nesting conditions.
Camera trap footage of Polynesian storm petrel entering an artificial burrow on Kamaka Island. Coral Wolf, conservation science program manager at Island Conservation, on Kamaka Island. Photo courtesy of Island Conservation.
Their monitoring equipment documented a gradual increase in storm petrel activity throughout this year. Initial sightings in April and May led to consistent visits a few months later, with the birds showing particular interest in the artificial nesting sites and areas near the acoustic equipment.
“The results of our social attraction efforts were quickly apparent,” Thomas Ghestemme from the Ornithological Society of Polynesia (SOP MANU), a local organization that helped with the restoration efforts, said in a statement. “Polynesian storm-petrels began visiting at the start of the nesting season and became regular visitors, while also spending time in the nest boxes.”
However, actual nesting hasn’t yet been confirmed. “Right now, based on our review of all the camera trap data, we can’t say how many individuals we had visiting the site. We can say how frequent they were coming,” Wolf said. “Right now, we’ve only seen one at a time, so we know that they’re coming relatively regularly during the breeding season.”
Booby chick on Kamaka Island, French Polynesia. Now free from invasive rats, these birds will have a better chance to safely nest and thrive. Image courtesy of Austin Hall/Island Conservation.
Community involvement proved crucial to the project’s success. “We are committed to working with the island communities that provide in-depth knowledge of these environments,” Richard Griffiths, head of operations for the South and West Pacific at Island Conservation, said in a statement. “We simply could not have completed the Kamaka project without their time, skills, expertise, and relentless energy.”
Preventing extinctions has larger ecosystem benefits, Esposito said. “The return of nutrients from seabirds benefits the soil, which runs off to the marine environment and builds climate resilience, secures livelihoods, and human health.”
Banner image of Polynesian storm petrels (Nesofregetta fuliginosa) near Rapa Iti Island, French Polynesia by Hadoram Shiriai.
Liz Kimbrough is a staff writer for Mongabay and holds a Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology from Tulane University, where she studied the microbiomes of trees. View more of her reporting here.
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Scientists captured the first-ever camera collar footage of wild Andean bears, revealing unprecedented behaviors, including canopy mating and cannibalism.
The research team, led by Indigenous researcher Ruthmery Pillco Huarcaya, successfully tracked a male bear for four months in Peru’s challenging cloud forest terrain.
The footage challenges previous assumptions about Andean bears being solitary vegetarians and shows them behaving more like other bear species.
While the bears face mounting threats from climate change and human conflict, researchers are combining scientific study with community education to protect them.
In the mountains of Peru, where ancient cloud forests meet the Amazon Rainforest, an Andean bear made scientific history. For four months, a camera collar captured the wild male’s daily life, revealing behaviors never before documented in the Southern Hemisphere’s only bear species, from treetop mating rituals to unexpected acts of cannibalism.
The study, published in Ecology and Evolution, provides a bear’s-eye view of life in one of South America’s steepest and wettest terrains and marks the first time this technology has been used on the species.
“For 15 years, I’ve been traveling up and down that valley and never seen a bear,” Andrew Whitworth, executive director of Osa Conservation and co-author of the study, told Mongabay. “So, the prospect of capturing a bear was quite insane. … These are just sheer walls of cloud forest.”
Ruthmery Pillco Huarcaya, a National Geographic Explorer and the study’s lead author, led the research team. She says her work to protect the Andean bears of Peru is inspired by the legends of her Indigenous Quechua heritage.
National Geographic Explorer, Ruthmery Pillco Huarcaya, attaches a trail camera to the branch of a tall tree in the buffer Zone of Manu National Park, Madre de Dios. Photo courtesy of Pablo Durana via National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Amazon Expedition.
Guardians of the Andes
Andean bears also hold profound cultural significance in Andean communities. “In Andean Quechua culture, Andean bears are known as Ukuku or Ukumary. The Ukukus are mythical beings, half-human and half-bear,” Pillco Huarcaya told Mongabay in a text message. “I wish people knew that Andean bears are the guardians of the mountains and vital ambassadors for the conservation of cloud forests, their primary habitat.”
To better understand these mountain guardians, in 2023, the team deployed camera collars on three wild Andean bears (Tremarctos ornatus) in Peru’s Kosñipata Valley. The first two collars were pilot studies that used National Geographic’s CritterCam. However, the study is based on just one longer-term collar worn by a male bear for four months, revealing many behaviors scientists have never seen before.
The footage challenged long-held assumptions about Andean bears being solitary vegetarians. Instead, it showed them as social creatures, having both peaceful and aggressive interactions with other bears.
Love in the Canopy
During his four months under observation, the male bear engaged in two remarkable courtship periods. The first, a weeklong encounter in December 2023, documented something never before seen: Andean bears mating in the tree canopy. The bears were filmed coupling high above the ground in at least eight video clips. A second female encountered the male in March, though no mating was recorded.
“There seems to be these sort of very intimate moments when he’s with a female and they’re hanging out in the same tree, just looking at one another,” Whitworth said. While Andean bears have long been considered solitary, the footage showed the pairs remaining together for days at a time and sleeping next to each other, suggesting their social lives may be more complex than previously understood.
The bear’s agility in the canopy wasn’t limited to mating. The bear was also filmed feeding 20-30 meters [65-98 feet] up into the top of a Cecropia tree. “I remember being really shocked when we saw this,” Whitworth said. “These are fast-growing, very spindly, hollow trees that snap really easily, and we see this bear 30 m up feeding on seeds. Holy smokes!”
Camera collar footage of the male Andean bear interacting with a female Andean bear. Credit: Ruthmery Pillco Huarcaya/National Geographic.
Bears will be bears
The footage also revealed that Andean bears are not purely vegetarians but have an omnivorous behavior typical of other bear species. Camera collars caught them eating insects and meat along with fruit, bromeliads and even stinging nettles.
In one surprising discovery, the collared bear was recorded feeding on the carcass of a woolly monkey (Lagothrix cana), the first documented case of an Andean bear consuming a primate. Nine video clips captured the sequence of events, showing the bear first with the monkey’s carcass on the ground before carrying it into the tree canopy, where the primate’s hand was clearly visible. The footage suggests the bear discovered the already-deceased monkey while foraging rather than hunting it.
Even more dramatic were two instances of cannibalism caught on camera. In mid-November 2023, just a month before his mating season, the bear was recorded feeding on a dead bear cub over three days, starting with the head and moving to the stomach.
In a second incident on New Year’s Day 2024, after a long journey crossing the Kosñipata Valley, the bear was filmed in the canopy consuming what appeared to be the partially eaten carcass of another small bear.
While cannibalism has been previously reported in Andean bears in Ecuador, this could be the first documented case of infanticide in Andean bears, a behavior known in other bear species. These videos suggest these bears may be more similar to their northern cousins than previously thought.
“When you look at everything that we’ve recorded,” Whitworth said, “you realize it’s just like any other bear.” This simple observation might be the study’s most profound finding, Whitworth said. Beneath the mystery and mythology, Andean bears are just bears being bears.
An Andean Bear (Tremarctos ornatus) in Parque Nacional del Rio Abiseo, Peru. The species is listed as Vulnerable to extinction in the IUCN Red List and is the only bear species in the Southern Hemisphere. Image by Pedro Peloso courtesy of National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Amazon Expedition.
How to catch a bear
Collaring an Andean bear in Peru’s steep cloud forests required ingenuity and patience. The team used an “Iznachi trap,” essentially a large box with a guillotine-style door that drops when a bear enters to take the bait. But first, they had to get the trap into position.
“We had to design it where it was in panels that could be put on your back, and you could hoist these big metal panels out through these mountains,” Whitworth said. “It was pretty dangerous.”
Working with a local mechanic, they created a portable version the team could carry in pieces and assemble on-site. Each trap was connected to a satellite transmitter that would immediately alert researchers via email when triggered.
The process of actually catching a bear required careful preparation. “You don’t arm the trap at first; you kind of want them to just get used to coming in for the bait,” Whitworth said.
Using camera traps, the team spent a year identifying where individual bears hung out before attempting any captures. This allowed them to target specific animals while avoiding females with cubs. The trap’s design ensured only bears could trigger it. “It’s so heavy that pulling the prongs from this big door is actually real hard for an animal to do,” Whitworth said. “If a fox comes, they’ll nibble on the meat, but they’re not strong enough to pull it and trigger the trap.”
Once a bear is caught, the teams head to the field to immobilize it using a precise combination of drugs. During the immobilization, veterinarians conducted health evaluations and fitted a collar with GPS tracking onto the bear.
National Geographic Explorer, Ruthmery Pillco Huarcaya, holds up footage of an Andean bear exploring the bear cage her team set up. Photo courtesy of Andy Whitworth/National Geographic.
Tracking technology
The collars are designed to be released remotely via satellite, typically after about three months. The researchers wait until the bear is in an area where they think they can retrieve the collar, then send a signal to fire a release mechanism. However, the process isn’t always straightforward.
“The problem is that collar has been on the bear for a few months, and a bunch of gunk can just sort of keep it closed,” Whitworth said. “So sometimes you don’t find the collar in the place where the release went. It can take two or three hours to wiggle off, and the animal could have moved kilometers.”
Even after successfully tracking a collar’s location, retrieving it from the precipitous terrain proved its own adventure. During one recovery attempt, a swollen river separated the team from their quarry. The solution emerged from the community itself.
“Ruth hired a bunch of the local people and we built a makeshift bridge to sort of scramble over this raging torrent,” Whitworth said, highlighting how local knowledge and collaboration often proved crucial to the project’s success.
After retrieving the collar, researchers anxiously waited to see if the data were successfully recorded. Despite these challenges, the team has had been largely successful in recovering their equipment. Across their broader mammal research program, they’ve retrieved 19 out of 20 collars deployed on various species.
This high recovery rate helps justify the steep cost of the technology, around $5,000 per camera collar. The study authors argue the investment is worthwhile when compared with the total cost of bear research.
The bigger challenge, Whitworth noted, is making this technology accessible to researchers in tropical regions where many poorly understood species live. He said that financial support from National Geographic and Rolex allowed the team to take risks on expensive technology, “but for a lot of researchers in the Global South, those risks are unattainable unless they can get access to the resources.”
Beyond the technical and financial challenges, the footage offered something unique: a glimpse into how an Andean bear experiences its world. Whitworth describes the wonder of seeing from a bear’s perspective, noting that the bear would sometimes stop at a vista and look out over the landscape, much like humans do on a hike.
“He’ll be walking and then all of a sudden, he’ll just stop in some beautiful part of the Andes and look out over the river and the valley,” Whitworth said. “He’s probably smelling and looking at his surroundings, but you get the idea that he’s seeing the land, in some respects, how we see it. It’s pretty incredible.”
Camera collar footage of the male Andean bear walking along a river. Credit: Ruthmery Pillco Huarcaya/National Geographic.
Seeds of survival
However, understanding Andean bear behavior isn’t just amusing. These large mammals play an important role in the ecosystem, eating seeds and then dispersing them over large distances. This service helps maintain the immense biodiversity of the cloud forest, an ecosystem critical to the water cycle of the entire Amazon Basin.
Yet the bears’ vital role in the ecosystem is at risk. Listed as threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, there are estimated to be fewer than 20,000 Andean bears left in the wild.
The species faces pressures from multiple directions. As the climate becomes hotter and drier, their habitat is pushed upward. At the same time, human activities like farming are moving in from above, leaving the bears less room to roam.
“Sadly, I don’t see things improving for Andean bears anytime soon,” Whitworth said. “There are some scary predictions about cloud forest loss under current climate warming scenarios.”
This squeeze on their habitat forces bears to adapt their movements and behavior. They rarely stay within a national park, instead passing through multiple protected areas and community lands—sometimes raiding crops or in very rare cases preying on livestock. This can lead to retaliatory killings by local people. Camera footage paired with GPS tracking can help researchers and communities understand why bears are going to community lands, what risks they take, and perhaps how to avoid conflicts.
Community conservation
In response to these challenges, Pillco Huarcaya’s team is also working to expand their community engagement efforts, transforming their field station into what Whitworth called a “community conservation campus.”
“My work with children has had a significant impact on how the community views Andean bears,” Pillco Huarcaya said. “Through our ‘Conservation Ambassadors’ program, children visit the Wayqecha Biological Station to learn about the bears and the cloud forest. Many of them didn’t know about Andean bears before, and now they see them as friends that need to be protected.”
Despite the challenges, Whitworth said he remains cautiously optimistic. The behaviors captured by the camera collars demonstrate the bears’ intelligence and adaptability. “If there is a species that can change fast and learn quickly,” he says, “it’s a bear.”
A male Andean bear, and his paw. Credit: Ruthmery Pillco Huarcaya/National Geographic.
Banner image of Andean Bear (Tremarctos ornatus) in Parque Nacional del Rio Abiseo, Peru. Image by Pedro Peloso courtesy of National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Amazon Expedition.
Liz Kimbrough is a staff writer for Mongabay and holds a Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology from Tulane University, where she studied the microbiomes of trees. View more of her reporting here.
Pillco Huarcaya, R., Whitworth, A., Mamani, N., Thomas, M., Condori, E., (2024) Through the eyes of the Andean bear: Camera collar insights into the life of a threatened South American Ursid. Ecology and Evolution 14(12) doi: 10.1002/ece3.70304
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