A Significant Advance for Bear Protection in Machu Picchu

On May 15 and 17, 2024 Spectacled Bear Conservation (SBC) marked a groundbreaking achievement by deploying the first GPS collars on spectacled bears in the Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary.

In collaboration with SERNANP, Peru’s National Protected Areas Authority, our goal is to deploy at least 10 collars, and this initiative represents vital progress in our efforts to conserve this vulnerable species.

We successfully fitted two female bears with GPS collars and collected important body measurements and health indicators. The collars will provide real-time data on how bears move through the forests and mountains in and around Machu Picchu, offering unprecedented insights into their behavior and habitat use.

GPS collar data will pinpoint critical habitat, identify important feeding and breeding areas, and help highlight potential threats from human activities. The data will help SERNANP implement effective conservation strategies to benefit spectacled bears and the other species who share their habitat in Machu Picchu. 

Click here to watch video footage. 

Photo credits: SBC, SERNANP