Three Andean bears have left their birthing den and are ready to meet the people of Queens.
The trio – two males and one female— were born on Jan. 3 and represent a rare occurrence.
“Normally, Andean bears have one or two cubs at a time,” said Mike Allen, director of the Queens Zoo. “We had three which is very rare so that's especially exciting.”
Climate change and population growth are reducing the bears’ natural habitat in the Andean Mountains of Colombia and Bolivia. The Queens Zoo breeds them as part of a special program organized by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums designed to diversify their gene pool.
When the bears reach adulthood, they will be given to other zoos in the U.S. There are currently 33 Andean bears in North America, the zoo said.
They were born to Nicole and Bouba when the pair mated sometime in the summer, according to the zoo. Bouba has since passed from an illness.
The new triplets haven’t yet been named. Allen said the zoo is open to licensing the naming rights to bears.
“It's certainly possible. We're always looking for ways to support the organization,” he said.
Andean bears are also known as spectacle bears because of the whitish markings around their eyes and muzzle unique to each bear. Males can reach 6 feet in height and weigh up to 340 pounds, accounting to Allen.
The cubs are still working out how to use all that mass, according to Allen, and still wobbling around their enclosure.
“The first day we let them out, one of them climbed all the way to the top point and started calling,” Allen said. “Mom had to come over and climb up the tree and help them.”
