Scientists Unlock Mysteries of the Real Paddington Bear from the Andes (VIDEO)

Scientists are focusing on the conservation of the real Paddington Bear, called the Andean bear. Living in the cloud forests of the Tropical Andes, this bear is one of the rarest on Earth.

The biology and ecology of the Andean bear is poorly known, despite its symbolic and cultural significance in the region and its role as a conservation flagship for the threatened montane forests and upland grasslands of the Andes. In this case, scientists tracked the distribution of the species and assessed its conservation status.

It turns out that 1,066 known distribution points of Andean bears in Bolivian and Peru were summarized in 27 maps. These included historical range, areas with and without expert knowledge, areas where Andean bears no longer occur, priority conservation units and maps of the Human Influence Index and Human Footprint within the Andean bears' range.

Bolivia and Peru hold almost 70 percent of Andean bear global distribution, and so this expert-driven analysis is crucial for identifying population strongholds for this iconic Andean species," said Robert Wallace, one of the researchers and WCS Director, in a news release.

Andean bears are frequently blamed for cattle losses. The researchers found while they'll sometimes prey on cattle, they receive far more blame than is warranted.

The findings reveal a bit more about the distribution of this species. Not only that, but they show how researchers can target conservation efforts, which will be crucial in years to come.

"Collectively these publications demonstration our institutional commitment to this magnificent species and the threatened forests and highland grasslands they represent as wildlife ambassadors," said Julie Kunen, Executive Director of WCS's Latin America and Caribbean Programs, in a news release.

For more information about this species and its conservation, look online.

Want to learn more? Check out the video below, courtesy of YouTube.

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