New Cub Will Allow Researchers to Study Maternal Behavior of Elusive Bear Species
San Diego Zoo Global is celebrating the birth of an Andean bear cub, born at the San Diego Zoo in the early morning hours of Jan. 8, 2020 to first-time mother Alba and sire, Turbo. Mother and cub are being closely monitored by animal care staff via a closed-circuit video camera, allowing Alba to care for her cub without interruption. The mortality rate for Andean bear cubs in their first month is high so the animal care staff is cautiously optimistic for the cubs’ long-term survival. At just 7 days old, the cub—whose sex is yet to be determined—appears to be thriving.
“We are overjoyed about the birth of Alba’s first cub,” stated Chris Hamlin, animal care manager, San Diego Zoo. “Alba is showing all the appropriate behaviors of a good mother, being very attentive to her newborn. We are so impressed with how well she is handling motherhood.”

The birth of this cub is of great significance to conservation research. It will allow San Diego Zoo Global researchers and animal care staff the rare opportunity to learn about mother and cub interaction, and cub development. Very little is known about Andean bears in their native habitat. They are very shy and tend to avoid humans, making them hard for researchers to study.
“The Andean forests where we work are so rugged and dense that it will be a long time before we can study the maternal behavior of wild bears there,” said Russ Van Horn, scientist, Population Sustainability, San Diego Zoo Global and co-chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Andean Bear Expert Team. “Alba’s behavior and her cub’s development will suggest how closely, and for how long, wild mothers and cubs may be linked to birth dens, where we think they’re sensitive to disturbance by humans.”

San Diego Zoo Global has been studying Andean bears for over 12 years, and since 2008 has worked with various partners to research and conserve bears in Peru, recently in southeast Peru in and near Manu National Park. The goal of San Diego Zoo Global’s Andean Bear Conservation Program is to help increase scientific knowledge about these bears to advance their conservation, to train and mentor Peruvian conservationists and to promote an understanding that the bears are worthy and integral parts of a healthy ecosystem.
Only a few zoos in the United States house Andean bears. The San Diego Zoo paired Alba and Turbo as part of the Species Survival Plan (SSP), a cooperative breeding program designed to enhance the genetic viability and demographic stability of animal populations in zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
Andean bears are also called spectacled bears, named for the unique rings of white or light fur around their eyes. It is the last short-faced bear and the only bear species native to South America. They are found in the Andes from Venezuela to Bolivia, living primarily in dense forests, but also in grasslands and scrublands.
The Andean bear is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, primarily due to habitat loss. Andean bear habitat is disappearing at a rate of about 2 to 4 percent per year, as it is being destroyed for mining operations, farming and timber harvest. The construction of new roads also fragments bear habitat. In addition, climate change is altering the bear’s habitat in unpredictable ways. Andean bears are considered an umbrella species in the region, meaning that conservation programs aimed at protecting Andean bears will indirectly benefit other species in the Andes Mountains. It is estimated there are only 2,500 to 10,000 adults remaining in their native habitat.
Andean bears were first cared for at the San Diego Zoo in 1938, and since then, nine cubs have been born. This is the first Andean bear cub born at the San Diego Zoo since 1993. Cubs are born with their eyes closed and are completely dependent on their mother. In their native habitat, it is believed the cubs first leave the safety of their dens at around 3 months of age, and stay with their mothers until they are at least 1 year old, before venturing out on their own. While Alba has access to her outdoor habitat, Zoo visitors most likely will not be able to see the cub for another couple of months, as Alba continues to care for and bond with her cub in her den.
I’m so excited to see Alba and her new cub.
It’s been awhile since can you give an update on mom & cub?
At least when the zoo reopens there will be a cute new Andean bear cub to watch grow up.
Thank you!
Kayla
what is the cubs name?
Blog Monitor’s note: No name as of yet…stay tuned!
Congratulations to everyone at the Zoo! Hope the baby will thrive and live a long life.
I love to see your videos — all of them!
You are an inspiration to all of us who are concerned about our animal population.
Please keep up your outstanding work!!!!!
I have so enjoyed all of the videos you’ve sent. I’ve especially loved watching Edward. Keep sending
I did watch “The Zoo, San Diego” on Animal Planet this past summer and I saw the episode about the Andean bears! I watched as the keepers put Turbo and Alba in the same enclosure together to see if they would mate and it sure looks like they did! Congratulation to them and the San Diego Zoo! Thank you for telling me about the birth of the new cub and I hope I get to see it sometime soon! From, Mary
I couldn’t be more excited!
I haven’t visited since the giant pandas returned to China what a fun reason to go to the zoo in the coming months.
When do you think the cub will venture outside the den?
Does Alba continuously stay with the cub in the den?
Thanks
Blog Monitor’s note: Currently, Alba still spends most of the day and night in the den with her cub. During the warmer part of the day, we give her an opportunity to go out into the habitat and will increase the length of that as her behavior dictates. Yesterday was the first day we have seen her briefly go outside with the cub in her arm. Only time will tell, so stay tuned! 🙂
Would you have to be as cautious with this breed of bear as you would a Grizzly if you came across one in the wild? They look so sweet and docile.
Blog Monitor’s note: Yes, you would absolutely want to give this and ANY bear wide berth and respect no matter where you come across one. They have their own physical comfort boundaries and protective behaviors as well as the ‘tools’ to defend themselves (sharp claws and teeth and powerful muscles).