It is always joyful news when Frankfurt Zoo has offspring to report. The year 2018 then started right away with such happy news: on January 14, the spectacled bear Cashu had offspring. As spectacled bear cubs are born blind and almost naked, they stayed behind the scenes for the first few weeks together with their mum. At the beginning of April, the two siblings Manu and Suyana left their protective litter box and have since explored the indoor enclosure more and more bouncy and curious by the day.
Now the two cubs were allowed to enter the large outdoor enclosure in Ukumari Land for the first time. Hesitantly and always very close to mum, the cubs took a close look at their new home - watched by numerous visitors and media representatives. Zoo director Dr. Miguel Casares was pleased about the great interest, especially as the birth of Manu and Suyana represents an important contribution to species conservation. After all, spectacled bears - also known as Andean bears - are one of the animal species threatened with extinction.
Cashu had already had offspring twice before Manu and Suyana - once in Zurich and another twin birth in Frankfurt in December 2013. Like 15-year-old Cashu, Nobody, the father of the two cubs, came to Frankfurt in 2013 to the then newly opened Ukumari Land.
The animal care team at the sanctuary named the male MANU, taking its inspiration from MANU National Park in Peru, home to spectacled bears. The small female, easily recognized by her distinctive spectacle-like facial markings, was given her name by the Frankfurt Zoological Society ZGF. SUYANA is a Quechua female name meaning "hope."
The ZGF has been supporting conservation projects in Peru since 1976, one of which is dedicated to the protection of the spectacled bear. The bears live in the high Andes and are not everyone's friend. Again and again conflicts with farmers occur when the bears plunder their corn fields. The ZGF tries to educate, to create acceptance and to inspire people for the bears. In many places, the spectacled bear has already become a symbol for the region, of which people are now proud.
