Spectacled Bear Arrives at CMCo Zoo

COURT HOUSE – Zoo officials are excited to announce the arrival of a brand new species of Bear to the Cape May County Zoo. ‘Billie Jean’, a 17 year-old Spectacled Bear, arrived on Monday May 8th from the National Zoo in Washington DC. This is the first Spectacled Bear to call the Zoo home and she is a welcomed addition.
Spectacled Bears are the only species of Bears native to South America. They are found from Venezuela through Bolivia in the Andes mountains. For this reason they are also called Andean Bears. They are a medium-sized bear with a dark hair coat and light colored outlines around their eyes, giving them the appearance of wearing spectacles. This species of bear is the most arboreal (living in trees) of all bears and are very adept at climbing.
“Spectacled Bear populations in the wild are threatened and declining. ‘Billie Jean’ has been an important member of the AZA Species Survival Plan through the years. She has successfully raised many cubs that, one day, may be important for the survival of this species in the wild. But her reproductive years are now behind her and she came to Cape May County to retire with us”, said Dr. Alexander Ernst, Associate Veterinarian at the Zoo.
Spectacled bears grow 5 to 6 feet long and stand 2 to 3 feet at the shoulder.  Males grow up to 30% larger than females and weigh up to 340 lbs. Females rarely grow heavier than 180 lbs. They eat fruits and bromeliads along with berries, grasses, bulbs, cactus flowers, and small animals such as rodents, rabbits, and birds.
“The arrival of ‘Billie Jean’ not only adds to our varied collection of animals but serves as a tribute to the work, dedication, and passion of our Zoo staff.  Opportunities such as this are only available to those Zoos that are AZA accredited and that is not an easy task. The work of the staff is impressive and a great source of pride for the Board of Commissioners’, said Commissioner Andrew Bulakowski, liaison to the Parks and Zoo..    
‘Billie Jean’ can be found in the Bear habitat in our South American section of the Zoo, immediately adjacent to the Capybara habitat. Please join us in giving ‘Billie Jean’ a hearty Cape May County welcome.  
The Cape May County Parks and Zoo are open daily and free to the public.  Park hours are 7 a.m. to dusk and the Zoo is open from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. For more information about  the County Parks and Zoo go to their website www.cmczoo.com.