Toledo Zoo welcomes new Andean bear
3/17/2018
Nieve, a 29-year-old Andean Bear, is now at the Toledo Zoo and will be on exhibit for the public to meet her on Tuesday.
THE BLADE/LORI KING
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There’s a new bear in town.
Nieve, a 29-year-old Andean bear, will go on exhibit Tuesday at the Toledo Zoo. She arrived about a month ago from the Oglebay Good Zoo in West Virginia and her name means “snow” in Spanish.
Mammal curator Michael Frushour said the zoo had been looking for a more cold-hardy species of bear to exhibit after Kara, a sloth bear, was transferred in early winter to the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha.
“We’re excited about having a bear that’s going to be out more often,” he said, noting the zoo has not had Andean bears before.
Kara, who was owned by the San Diego Zoo, was transferred on a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan for sloth bears. The Toledo Zoo now owns Nieve.
VIDEO: New bear at Toledo Zoo
Mr. Frushour said the West Virginia zoo needed to find a new home for Nieve while they construct an expanded exhibit. The Andean bear was a species the Toledo Zoo had been considering to fill the spot left by Kara’s departure.
“We jumped on it,” he said. “We thought it was a great opportunity to help out the SSP and get an animal that’s very cold-hardy.”
Andean bears, native to the Andes Mountains, are listed as a vulnerable species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources’ Red List. Experts estimate 95 percent of the bears’ habitat has been destroyed or fragmented by logging and agriculture. They also are subject to human-animal conflict and poaching for trophy hunting or use in traditional Chinese medicine.
They are the only bear species in South America, and are also called spectacled bears because they have white markings around the face that often resemble glasses.
“Nieve’s face is almost entirely white,” Mr. Frushour said. “She looks like a teddy bear.”
Dave Ross, associate curator of mammals, said Nieve will live out the rest of her senior years in the Glass City. She was born Nov. 28, 1988, at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago and is listed as the oldest Andean bear in the world by zoological information management systems.
Andean bears in captivity typically live into their 20s, and it’s not uncommon to reach the late 20s or early 30s, Mr. Frushour said.
“She has no physical ailments, other than maybe a little arthritis,” Mr. Ross said. “But that’s not uncommon and she gets around good. She’ll be happy here.”
Mr. Frushour said Nieve will be spoiled, receiving special geriatric care including extra padding in sleeping areas, daily supplements, and soft treats.
It took Nieve about a week to adjust to her new caretakers and she has settled in well.
“You take things easy and try not to startle her,” Mr. Ross said. “But after that, she’s fine. She really enjoys the interaction with the keepers.”
Kara’s former exhibit in Tiger Terrace did not need modifications for Nieve to move in. The space was given a general face lift and a thorough inspection and cleaning.
“She’ll be out a lot when it’s cold,” Mr. Ross said. “She may even be splashing around more in the pool than Kara was. They said she liked her pool at Oglebay.”
Andean bears are solitary, so Nieve does not need a companion and the zoo has no plans at this time to acquire another of her species, Mr. Frushour said.
“We’re going to be able to give her a great life as long as we can,” he said.
Contact Alexandra Mester at: amester@theblade.com, 419-724-6066, or on Twitter @AlexMesterBlade.