BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport has a new resident! Nuna, a 2-year-old female Andean bear, arrived at her new home this week from the Queens Zoo in New York.
Nuna is not alone. She is joining a 21-year-old female Andean bear named Cayambe. Their habitat opened back in May.
As a species, the Andean bear population is considered vulnerable with a decreasing population, the zoo said. The bears suffer from the destruction and fragmentation of their habitats in the wild, with deforestation causing a decline in their numbers. Andean bears are arboreal, meaning tree-climbing bears.
Nuna was born on July 28, 2021, and her name means soul, or spirit, in the language spoken by the indigenous Quechua people of the Peruvian Andes.
“Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo continues to grow, allowing us to expand on our mission of animal conservation and education," said Zoo Director Gregg Dancho.
Their habitat features trees, two rock caves, a swimming bond, and a hammock. The bears are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Saving Animals from Extinction program and the Species Survival plan.
The habitat has space for four to five bears eventually, the zoo said, along with a maternity room and a nursery with heated floors!
Andean bears do not hibernate like North American species of bear, so they will be active in their habitat all year.
Learn more about Beardsley Zoo and book a trip to see Nuna on their website.
Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
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