Project Background
Spectacled Bear Conservation (SBC) works to collect the ecological data the Peruvian government needs to protect spectacled bears and their habitat in the Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary and surrounding areas. Although these bears have been monitored since the 1980s, there is little current information about their health, ecology, or threats—making it difficult to plan effective conservation at a time of growing tourism pressure.
Tourism is the main economic activity in Machu Picchu, with about 10,000 daily visitors to the ruins and 500 hikers on the Inca Trail—each often accompanied by guides or staff. This heavy human presence increases the risk of human-wildlife conflict in a culturally significant and fragile landscape.
In partnership with the Peruvian government and local Indigenous communities, SBC is working to reduce threats to bears and their habitat, thereby also helping to curb deforestation, lessen climate change impacts, and strengthen the management of this iconic protected area.
Key Project Activities
SBC has made major progress in strengthening conservation for spectacled bears. Building on the 2022 pilot camera trap study and 2023 park-wide survey, they created a permanent monitoring network of 14 stations (28 cameras) across Machu Picchu, including high-traffic areas near the ruins and Inca Trail. This network provides continuous data on bear activity and behavior across diverse ecosystems.
In 2024, they also deployed five satellite collars—the first ever on spectacled bears in the park. This milestone allows real-time tracking of bear movements inside and beyond the sanctuary. Combined with camera trap data, these collars are providing the first comprehensive baseline of the population’s health, distribution, and habitat use in this UNESCO World Heritage site.
SBC conducts regular fieldwork with park rangers, blending their local expertise with training in bear monitoring techniques. This knowledge exchange strengthens long-term monitoring and ensures that data directly supports science-based management decisions.
They have also engaged Indigenous communities, ecotourism operators, and municipal authorities around Machu Picchu. By sharing research findings and listening to local perspectives, they’ve raised awareness of bear conservation needs while building collaborative strategies that balance wildlife protection with community livelihoods and tourism.
Key Project Outcomes
SBC's comprehensive monitoring program to date has yielded important insights and new information about the habitat use and parameters of Machu Picchu’s spectacled bear population. They have detected 57 independent spectacled bears and created Machu Picchu's first individual bear identification catalog. They have also collected important data on biodiversity and the presence of other species in Machu Picchu, including new records of jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi) and pacarana (Dinomys branickii).
Their collaborative fieldwork approach has built crucial local capacity by providing hands-on training to 20 Machu Picchu park rangers in bear monitoring and data collection techniques.
The timing of the research proves particularly valuable as Peru's government contemplates expanding trails and tourism offerings within Machu Picchu. Their data provides critical insight into potential impacts on wildlife and their habitat, ensuring conservation considerations guide any future development.
Community Involvement
Community engagement has highlighted both challenges and opportunities in Indigenous villages around Machu Picchu. While these communities depend on subsistence living and tourism-based livelihoods, many show strong interest in sustainable alternatives. This creates opportunities for Spectacled Bear Conservation to foster new livelihood options in partnership with regional and municipal governments.
Their conservation outreach has already reached about 2,000 people, including park rangers, Machu Picchu’s management committee, tour operators, and Indigenous communities. These presentations raise awareness of the spectacled bear’s importance and habitat needs, building wider support for conservation across the region.
What’s next
SBC’s long-term vision centers on establishing a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve around Machu Picchu in collaboration with the Peruvian government, local Indigenous communities, and regional stakeholders. This would provide comprehensive protection for spectacled bears while supporting sustainable tourism and community development across the broader landscape.
Ongoing research will continue generating scientific data on bear ecology and habitat use, essential for designing targeted conservation actions that address specific threats. Through sustained partnerships with government and local communities, they will also implement programs that empower communities and improve social and economic wellbeing.
By combining rigorous scientific research with community-centered conservation, they aim to achieve long-term coexistence between people and spectacled bears in Machu Picchu, a globally significant cultural and ecological landscape.
Our goal is to collect the ecological data needed by the
Peruvian government to proactively manage the Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary
to protect spectacled bears and their habitat. While the presence of spectacled
bears has been documented and monitored at Machu Picchu and the surrounding
landscape since the 1980s, there is no current data available on the health,
ecology, or threats to these bears.
Tourism is the main economic activity in Machu Picchu with
visitor numbers increasing every year to visit the famous Incan ruins or hike
the Inca Trail - 10,000 people per day visit the ruins, and 500 people per day
are allowed on the Inca Trail, plus their guides and support staff, which
averages an additional person per hiker. In partnership with local Indigenous
communities and the Peruvian government, we aim to address threats posed by
potential human-wildlife conflict in this highly touristed and culturally
significant area by implementing activities that will measurably curtail the
drivers of deforestation and habitat degradation (thus mitigating the impacts
of climate change) and strengthen the management of this protected area.
Through this project, we will:
1) Undertake field research to understand the health,
population trends, and habitat use of spectacled bears in and around the Machu
Picchu Historic Sanctuary, to identify the threats to bear survival that must
be mitigated with urgent conservation action;
2) Train park guards on bear monitoring protocols and
scientific data management;
3) Conduct workshops to empower local Indigenous communities
with conservation knowledge and information on local biodiversity, and build an
understanding of their traditional knowledge and use of the area;
4) Provide training on mitigating wildfires with local
Indigenous communities, which is a growing threat in this area as the climate
changes. This approach is modeled after our successful implementation of this
wildfire mitigation training at our main study site in northern Peru.
Our travelers can fund this project through a microdonation when they buy a policy.Watch this video to see how those funds will be used to conserve spectacled bears and preserve Machu Picchu’s biodiversity.