Andean Bear Cashu Arrives at Verona’s Parco Natura Viva to Aid Conservation

Cashu, a 24-year-old female Andean bear and the only individual of Tremarctos ornatus in Italy, has arrived at Parco Natura Viva and begun acclimating to her new habitat, exploring the pond and the elevated platforms she prefers for rest. The bear arrived from the Wilhelma Zoo in Stuttgart, and park zoological director Camillo Sandri notes she has shown mobility and climbing ability as she settles in.

Cashu is part of the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) and represents a return of the species to the park after Bahia’s disappearance in 2023. The captive population currently numbers 54 individuals. In the wild, Andean bears persist in fragmented populations along the Andes from Venezuela to Bolivia at elevations of 1,000 to 4,000 meters, with an estimated fewer than 2,500 mature individuals. These figures underpin coordinated management and exchanges among zoos to preserve the species’ genetic heritage.
Italian Version