A bear cub no more than six months old was rescued yesterday in the area of influence of the Pilcomayo River, which is the work area of the Andean bear or jucumari conservation project implemented by the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Environmental Protection of Tarija (Prometa) and that, after an evaluation, will be taken to the Wildlife Custody Center or Urban Biopark.Conservation biologist and member of the NGO's team, Claudia Oller, explained that this is a cub of the Tremarctos ornatus species, the only one in South America, which is threatened by fragmentation and loss of its habitat and conflicts with humans because cattle ranching in rural areas is occupying its space.shesaid that it was a transporter who was in the area and stumbled upon the mother and two cubs, who escaped but left one of the cubs. This person took it and brought it to Prometa's offices. It is a species that is endangered because they are hunted by the local people because they attack livestock and cause them economic losses," said Oller, who said that standing up, the males can reach two meters in height and the females are a third smaller. They are vegetarians; in the dry forest zone they feed on bromeliads, payos or taracas, while in the higher elevations they feed on cacti and berries. The specimen will be handed over to the entity in charge of its protection to the Urban Biopark. Oller pointed out that it is desirable for a wild animal to be in its natural environment, in the bush, but that in this case, since it is a hatchling, its rehabilitation to be reintroduced may not be possible. In turn, the director of Prometa, Rodrigo Ayala, added that together with the authorities of the General Directorate of Biodiversity (DGB) and the Mayor's Office, they will evaluate the animal's psychological state, its capacity for reinsertion and obviously they will work in that direction. Otherwise, they will try to provide it with the best conditions in a wildlife refuge where it will share with other individuals of its species.Original Article: El País