Subject · Wildlife · Mammal

Andean Bear

Tremarctos ornatus · best Aug–Jun

In season now

Where and when

Months by place

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Maquipucuna Cloud Forest Reserve and Ecolodge, Nanegal/Nanegalito parish, Choco Andino, Pichincha. Bears feed in the northern part of the reserve; guides walk you to fruiting aguacatillo (Nectandra acutifolia) trees from the lodge., Ecuador

Parque Nacional Natural Chingaza, Piedras Gordas and Monterredondo sectors (La Calera / Fomeque access), plus Reserva Natural Ecopalacio in the park's buffer zone near La Calera. Paramo, frailejones, rock and lagoons at roughly 3000 to 3800 m., Colombia

Upper Manu Road, Kosnipata valley, Paucartambo, Cusco: Wayqecha Biological Station (about 3000 m) and the side road to Tres Cruces. Buffer zone of Manu National Park., Peru

Parque Nacional y ANMI Cotapata, La Cumbre to Yungas, La Paz department, Bolivia

Andean Bear shooting windows: places down, months across
Subject	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maquipucuna Cloud Forest Reserve and Ecolodge, Nanegal/Nanegalito parish, Choco Andino, Pichincha. Bears feed in the northern part of the reserve; guides walk you to fruiting aguacatillo (Nectandra acutifolia) trees from the lodge., Ecuador	In season	Peak	Peak	Peak	Peak	Peak	In season	Outside the window	Peak	Peak	Peak	Outside the window
Parque Nacional Natural Chingaza, Piedras Gordas and Monterredondo sectors (La Calera / Fomeque access), plus Reserva Natural Ecopalacio in the park's buffer zone near La Calera. Paramo, frailejones, rock and lagoons at roughly 3000 to 3800 m., Colombia	Peak	Peak	Peak	Outside the window	Outside the window	Outside the window	Outside the window	Outside the window	Outside the window	Outside the window	Outside the window	Peak
Upper Manu Road, Kosnipata valley, Paucartambo, Cusco: Wayqecha Biological Station (about 3000 m) and the side road to Tres Cruces. Buffer zone of Manu National Park., Peru	Outside the window	Outside the window	Outside the window	Outside the window	Outside the window	In season	In season	In season	Peak	Peak	In season	Outside the window
Parque Nacional y ANMI Cotapata, La Cumbre to Yungas, La Paz department, Bolivia	Outside the window	Outside the window	Outside the window	Outside the window	Outside the window	Outside the window	Outside the window	Outside the window	Outside the window	In season	In season	Outside the window

Best for November

Odds: Likely, 4 of 5. Verdict: Good.
Andean Bear at Maquipucuna Cloud Forest Reserve and Ecolodge, Nanegal/Nanegalito parish, Choco Andino, Pichincha. Bears feed in the northern part of the reserve; guides walk you to fruiting aguacatillo (Nectandra acutifolia) trees from the lodge., Ecuador: you will probably see it (Sep–Nov)
Odds: Likely, 4 of 5. Verdict: Acceptable.
Andean Bear at Mirador del Oso Andino, San Francisco de Sigsipamba area, canton Pimampiro, Imbabura. Viewing tower at about 2300 m looking across the Rio Pisque canyon to the slope where bears feed, including an avocado field., Ecuador: you will probably see it (Feb–Jun)
Odds: Coin flip, 3 of 5. Verdict: Good.
Andean Bear at Parque Nacional Natural Chingaza, Piedras Gordas and Monterredondo sectors (La Calera / Fomeque access), plus Reserva Natural Ecopalacio in the park's buffer zone near La Calera. Paramo, frailejones, rock and lagoons at roughly 3000 to 3800 m., Colombia: about an even chance of seeing it (Dec–Mar)

Its year

Across its windows

Andean Bear — Maquipucuna aguacatillo season — Sep to Nov

Shoot window

Andean Bear: you will probably see it (Sep–Nov)

Andean Bear by month
Month	Presence
Jan	Outside the window
Feb	Outside the window
Mar	Outside the window
Apr	Outside the window
May	Outside the window
Jun	Outside the window
Jul	Outside the window
Aug	Peak
Sep	Peak
Oct	Peak
Nov	Peak
Dec	Peak

Peak: Varies year to year. Sources range from Aug to Dec; most consistent is late Sep to Nov. Season usually lasts only 1 to 2 months once it starts. Confirm with the lodge before booking; they post when bears arrive.
Days needed: 5 days
Behaviour: Mass aggregation
Coat: Juveniles present
Habitat: Green season / lush
Crowds: Moderate
Also here: Andean Cock of the rock lek near the lodge, hummingbirds at feeders, tanagers, toucans; coatis, tayra, agouti.

Light: About 0° latitude. Sun near the zenith at midday around the September equinox, so direct sun is unusable for most of the day and golden hour is roughly 20 minutes at each end (inferred from latitude, not measured). The soft light here comes from cloud and mist: western slope Choco cloud forest, frequently misty in the morning. Overcast percentage NOT found; unverified. You sleep inside the reserve, so no gate hours block first light. Soft is also dim: a 2025 field frame from here was 501 mm, f/9, 1/250 s, ISO 640 on a bear descending a trunk, which shows the exposure squeeze under canopy.
Weather risk: Fog / mist (asset) and Rainy season
Atmosphere: Mist in mossy canopy; rain drip and wet fur; dark bear against pale cloud for near monochrome frames.
Permits: Private reserve; entry fee about 10 USD for day visitors, guide hire about 25 USD (Lonely Planet figures, may be dated). Bear safari is guided. Ecuador lists the bear as Endangered nationally; keep distance, never block a bear's route down a tree.
Getting there: About 2 hours by road from Quito. Lodge rooms and cabins inside the reserve, full board. Packages from about 196 USD per person (Happy Gringo 2026) and from about 90 USD per person per night (Timbuktu). Operators say 2 to 3 nights in season gives a high chance of a sighting; a keeper needs more. Walks to trees can be steep and muddy at 1200 to 2800 m.

Who runs trips here: Fundacion Maquipucuna (lodge runs the bear safaris with local guides who scout fruiting trees). Booked via operators such as Happy Gringo, Andean Trails, Reef and Rainforest. No photo hides; you shoot from the trail under the tree.

Confidence: medium · full research · Last verified 9 Oct 2026

Andean Bear — Chingaza paramo — Dec to Mar

Shoot window

Andean Bear: about an even chance of seeing it (Dec–Mar)

Andean Bear by month
Month	Presence
Jan	Peak
Feb	Peak
Mar	Peak
Apr	Outside the window
May	Outside the window
Jun	Outside the window
Jul	Outside the window
Aug	Outside the window
Sep	Outside the window
Oct	Outside the window
Nov	Outside the window
Dec	Peak

Peak: Not established. Documented sightings in early Dec 2024 (tour report) and mid Feb (news). Dec to Mar as the drier period is INFERRED from regional climate, not confirmed by a park source.
Days needed: 6 days
Behaviour: Courtship / display
Coat: Juveniles present
Habitat: Tundra, Wetland / water
Crowds: Permit-limited / quota
Also here: White tailed deer, Andean condor, paramo birds and hummingbirds, Andean duck and teal on the lagoons; frailejon landscapes in their own right.

Light: About 4.6° N. High sun at midday; short golden hour. The paramo makes its own soft light: fog banks and low cloud roll through often. A Dec 2024 tour report notes a sunny day made bears harder to find, which suggests bear activity and soft light line up here. Overcast percentage NOT found. KEY CONSTRAINT: park entry is about 7:00 to 12:30 with exit by 16:00, so day visitors miss both dawn and dusk. Fix: overnight inside (Corpochingaza community lodging at Monterredondo) or work from Ecopalacio in the buffer zone.
Weather risk: Fog / mist (asset) and High wind
Atmosphere: Bear emerging from fog between frailejones and boulders; breath vapour in cold mornings at altitude; storm light over lagoons.
Permits: Advance reservation by email with the park, induction and registration on arrival, accident insurance, guide accompaniment required on many routes. Entry fee 2026 about 29,000 COP for nationals/residents (foreign rate higher, not confirmed). MOTORCYCLES NOT ALLOWED into the park; a private car or approved operator is required. Drone use not confirmed; assume banned in a national park.
Getting there: 50 km from Bogota; about 1.5 to 3 hours by road depending on sector. Altitude 3000 to 3800 m: acclimatise. Lodging inside the park is basic and booked through Corpochingaza. Cost below is ground only (guide, transport, lodging) for about a week, excluding the flight to Bogota; estimate, not quoted.

Who runs trips here: Park approved agencies list (Parques Nacionales 2025) includes Corpochingaza, Absa Chingaza, Ecopalacio Tours, Oso Andino Territorio. Colombia Photo Expeditions runs a dedicated bear photo tour (Chingaza and Tama). Santiago J. Monroy works Ecopalacio with camera traps.

Confidence: low · full research · Last verified 9 Oct 2026

Andean Bear — Pimampiro Mirador del Oso Andino — Feb to Jun cubs

Shoot window

Mirador del Oso Andino, San Francisco de Sigsipamba area, canton Pimampiro, Imbabura. Viewing tower at about 2300 m looking across the Rio Pisque canyon to the slope where bears feed, including an avocado field., Ecuador

Andean Bear: you will probably see it (Feb–Jun)

Andean Bear by month
Month	Presence
Jan	Outside the window
Feb	Peak
Mar	Peak
Apr	Peak
May	Peak
Jun	Peak
Jul	Outside the window
Aug	Outside the window
Sep	Outside the window
Oct	Outside the window
Nov	Outside the window
Dec	Outside the window

Peak: Cub season Feb to Jun per El Comercio. Bears present year round.
Days needed: 3 days
Behaviour: Denning / emergence
Coat: Juveniles present
Habitat: Green season / lush
Crowds: Quiet
Also here: Camera traps here record tapir, puma, ocelot, foxes; dry Chota valley birds lower down. Mojanda lagoons nearby for paramo landscapes.

Light: About 0.4° N; high midday sun, short golden hour. Bears are most active early morning and late afternoon per the host, which overlaps the only soft light on clear days. Camping at the mirador puts you in position at first light. Cloud frequency NOT found. Across canyon distances will cost resolution and contrast in midday haze.
Weather risk: Heat haze (kills long lens) and Rainy season
Atmosphere: Morning cloud in the canyon below the bears.
Permits: Private community project; pay the host. About 15 to 20 USD per person including camping (iOverlander reports). No formal permits found.
Getting there: About 3 to 4 hours north of Quito via Ibarra/Pimampiro; last 10 km cobbled and unpaved, narrow and steep. Camping or basic cabin at the mirador. The host sometimes leads a trail down the canyon for a closer view.

Who runs trips here: Danilo Vasquez (host, decade plus of daily bear observation) with biologist Andres Laguna; linked to Big Mammals Conservation. Day tours from Quito exist (Great Horned Owl Tours) but overnighting is better.

Confidence: medium · full research · Last verified 9 Oct 2026

Andean Bear — Manu Road Wayqecha cloud forest — Oct

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Upper Manu Road, Kosnipata valley, Paucartambo, Cusco: Wayqecha Biological Station (about 3000 m) and the side road to Tres Cruces. Buffer zone of Manu National Park., Peru

Andean Bear: you might see it, but it is far from sure (Oct)

Andean Bear by month
Month	Presence
Jan	Outside the window
Feb	Outside the window
Mar	Outside the window
Apr	Outside the window
May	Outside the window
Jun	Outside the window
Jul	Outside the window
Aug	Outside the window
Sep	Outside the window
Oct	Peak
Nov	Outside the window
Dec	Outside the window

Peak: No seasonal peak known. Listed for Oct because you are on this road 9 to 16 Oct 2026.
Coat: Not applicable
Habitat: Green season / lush
Crowds: Quiet
Also here: Andean Cock of the rock at Cock of the Rock Lodge, hummingbirds, mountain tanagers, woolly monkeys lower down.

Light: About 13° S. Cloud forest on the Amazon facing slope: mist and cloud are the norm, which gives soft light for long stretches of the day. October is the start of the wet season in SE Peru. Exact overcast frequency NOT found.
Weather risk: Fog / mist (asset) and Rainy season
Atmosphere: Elfin forest in cloud; bromeliad covered trees, which bears tear apart to feed.
Permits: Road is public. Stay on the road; landslides make off road walking unwise. Respect Manu NP boundaries.
Getting there: Already on your moto loop. Dawn and dusk drives on the upper road are your only real shot. Marginal cost zero.

Who runs trips here: Wayqecha station (ACCA / Conservacion Amazonica) runs an Andean bear research programme; ask staff where recent bear sign or camera trap hits are.

Confidence: low · full research · Last verified 9 Oct 2026

Andean Bear — Chaparri dry forest — Jun to Nov

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Reserva Ecologica Chaparri (ACP Chaparri), Chongoyape, Lambayeque; about 75 km east of Chiclayo. Equatorial dry forest., Peru

Andean Bear: about an even chance of seeing it (Jun–Nov)

Andean Bear by month
Month	Presence
Jan	Outside the window
Feb	Outside the window
Mar	Outside the window
Apr	Outside the window
May	Outside the window
Jun	In season
Jul	In season
Aug	In season
Sep	Peak
Oct	In season
Nov	In season
Dec	Outside the window

Peak: September per operators (bears in fruiting trees, leafless forest).
Days needed: 3 days
Behaviour: Courtship / display
Coat: Juveniles present
Habitat: Dry season / dust
Crowds: Moderate
Also here: White winged guan, Sechuran fox, Tumbesian endemic birds, king vulture.

Light: About 6.5° S in a rain shadow: clear skies and a high sun most of the dry season, the worst case for the soft light rule. Usable light likely limited to short windows after sunrise and before sunset. Heat haze over open dry forest at midday.
Weather risk: Heat haze (kills long lens), Extreme heat and Wildfire smoke
Permits: Guide obligatory, advance reservation, 4x4 track from Chongoyape.
Getting there: Flight Lima to Chiclayo, then road. Lodge from about 120 USD for 2 days per PeruNorth.

Who runs trips here: ACOTURCH community guides; Chaparri EcoLodge.

Confidence: high · full research · Last verified 9 Oct 2026

Andean Bear — Cotapata Yungas near La Paz — Oct to Nov

Shoot window

Parque Nacional y ANMI Cotapata, La Cumbre to Yungas, La Paz department, Bolivia

Andean Bear: seeing it would be rare luck (Oct–Nov)

Andean Bear by month
Month	Presence
Jan	Outside the window
Feb	Outside the window
Mar	Outside the window
Apr	Outside the window
May	Outside the window
Jun	Outside the window
Jul	Outside the window
Aug	Outside the window
Sep	Outside the window
Oct	In season
Nov	In season
Dec	Outside the window

Peak: None known.
Coat: Not applicable
Habitat: Green season / lush
Crowds: Quiet
Also here: Yungas birds; condors and altiplano species around La Paz.

Light: About 16° S. Yungas cloud forest is cloudy and misty, so light would be soft; the problem is finding a bear.
Weather risk: Fog / mist (asset) and Rainy season
Permits: Protected area; El Choro trek route crosses it.
Getting there: Close to La Paz by road, but no bear viewing site, guide product or predictable food source found.

Who runs trips here: None found for bear viewing. Programa Jukumari works on bear conservation in Bolivia; no tourism product located.

Confidence: low · full research · Last verified 9 Oct 2026

Andean Bear — Maquipucuna off season — Jan to Jul

Shoot window

Maquipucuna Cloud Forest Reserve, Pichincha, Ecuador

Andean Bear: seeing it would be rare luck (Jan–Jul)

Andean Bear by month
Month	Presence
Jan	In season
Feb	In season
Mar	In season
Apr	In season
May	In season
Jun	In season
Jul	In season
Aug	Outside the window
Sep	Outside the window
Oct	Outside the window
Nov	Outside the window
Dec	Outside the window

Coat: Not applicable
Habitat: Green season / lush
Crowds: Quiet
Also here: Cock of the rock lek and cloud forest birds run year round.

Light: Same equatorial cloud forest light as the season window; the light is not the problem, the bears are.
Weather risk: Rainy season

Confidence: medium · full research · Last verified 9 Oct 2026

Hides, lodges and tours for the Andean Bear

No hides, lodges or tours match these filters yet.

Where it lives

Show the Andean Bear range on the globe

Species

IUCN status: Unknown
Regions: Central & South America
Range on the globe: No range polygons yet

GBIF taxon 2433401