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A Threat From Above: El Niño Looms Over Spectacled Bear Habitat In Peru
In the early morning light, Patricia weaves her way through Machu Picchu’s cloud forest in Peru’s Andes. Moments later, the leaves rustle as her travel companion tags along behind her. As a mother, her instinct guides her to teach her cub to survive in rhythm with the seasons.
But a larger force threatens the patterns of life for spectacled bears, making conservation essential to preparing for the impacts.
El Niño is a weather phenomenon that occurs when the Pacific Ocean warms. This shifts global weather patterns and increases the likelihood of extreme temperatures, drought, and rainfall. As the world grapples with a predicted “super” El Niño, there could be devastating effects on ecosystems and species, including spectacled (or Andean) bears like Patricia, in addition to the impacts on infrastructure, livelihoods and human wellbeing.
Click below to meet Patricia and her cub.
How El Niño Is a Threat to Spectacled Bear Habitat
Wildfire, floods, and landslides may destroy or fragment remaining bear habitat and reduce food availability. Key food resources could be completely wiped out, or extreme rainfall may cause vegetation overgrowth that disrupts the fruiting of trees. As a result, vulnerable bear populations may become increasingly isolated and face a greater risk of starvation. The loss of habitat and food could also force bears onto land where people use grow crops and graze cattle. This escalates the threat of human-wildlife conflict.
El Niño is already impacting the regions where SBC works to protect threatened bears.
In southern Peru, drought and hotter temperatures combined with slash-and-burn agricultural practices have dramatically increased the fire risk. An intense wildfire season is unfolding, with several major fires near Machu Picchu in the past month. In northern Peru’s equatorial dry forest, where heavy rainfall and major flooding are predicted, seasonal rains have arrived months early.
El Niño is a threat to spectacled bear habitat in Machu Picchu's lush cloud forest where drought and hot temperatures are increasing the risk of severe wildfires. 
Northern Peru's equatorial dry forest forest is predicted to receive heavy rainfall that may cause serious floods or landslides. Collaborating For the Future
Much is at stake for people and nature in Peru. Collaborative action between the government, communities and civil society organizations like SBC, is urgently needed to prepare for El Niño. While the government has proactively declared states of emergency in high-risk regions to prepare for wildfires and floods, resources are limited for respond over vast and remote areas. This is where SBC’s conservation efforts play an important role.
“We are facing one of the most intense El Niño events of this century. It will not be easy. Protecting our communities, the spectacled bear, and biodiversity will require preparation and an unprecedented level of collaborative effort,” says Alexander More, SBC’s Executive Director.
The Role Of Conservation
We are partnering with the government and remote villages to prevent wildfires, develop early fire detection systems, improve community emergency preparedness and continue our human-bear coexistence initiatives. While the full magnitude of El Niño and the resources we may need are uncertain, taking action now is key.
The conservation actions we take today are an investment in the resilience of communities and ecosystems in the face of El Niño.
This is how your support makes a difference not only for spectacled bears like Patricia and her cub, but for the people who share their habitat.
