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The Amazon River Dolphin Foundation shared this video of the endangered species that inhabits the freshwater rivers of the South American Amazon

*Bears illustrations by Marckz*

The Americas are, and have always been, home to a vast variety of ursid species. Following the Quaternary extinction, four species remained across both subcontinents: three in North America and one in South America. This makes the Americas the region with the second-highest number of bear species, surpassed only by Asia, which hosts eight. Much like in Asia, these species are divided into two subfamilies: Ursinae and Tremarctinae. Furthermore, the continent claims both extremes: the Polar bear as the northernmost species and the Andean bear as the southernmost.

Historically, these bears were incredibly widespread. Even during the era of European conquest, Brown and Black bears were ubiquitous across North America. Records also indicate that the Spectacled (Andean) bear was once very common in South America. A prime example is "Santa Rosa de Osos"—literally translated as Saint Rose of Bears—located in the northern Andes. This plateau was discovered by the Spanish colonist Francisco Vallejo in 1541, who initially named it the "Valley of Bears" due to the massive presence of Andean bears roaming the highlands. At that time, the Brown bear’s range extended from Alaska down to Northern Mexico, while the American Black bear occupied nearly all of North America.

In modern times, all of them have suffered from habitat loss and a drastic reduction in their distribution. The Brown bear has vanished from nearly 98% of its range in the contiguous United States and went extinct in Mexico in 1964. The American Black bear has lost 20% of its range, with some local populations, such as those in Mexico, being highly threatened. Due to melting sea ice, the Polar bear faces increasing fragmentation, with an estimated habitat loss of 30% by 2050. Most critically, the Andean bear has lost 95% of its entire natural habitat. Currently, the most vulnerable bears on the continent are the Polar bear, the Andean bear, and the Mexican populations of the American Black bear.

So, I’ve been following a few projects for a while now that I find truly fascinating. Specifically, these are located in the Great Plains of the U.S. (American Prairie), Flevoland in the Netherlands (Oostvaardersplassen), and Burgos, Spain (Paleolítico Vivo). Below, I’ll break down the species involved and a bit of their history.

American Prairie (Montana, USA)

American Prairie is a private nature reserve managed by a non-profit organization. Their goal is to stitch together purchased and leased lands to create the largest wildlife conservation area in the contiguous United States. Key species that have been reintroduced include:

American Bison: The flagship species. Herds have been introduced in units like Sun Prairie to act as "ecosystem engineers."

Black-footed Ferrets: One of the rarest mammals in North America. They’ve been released into prairie dog colonies (their primary food source) in areas like the neighboring U.L. Bend National Wildlife Refuge.

Prairie Dogs: Although already present, the reserve manages and expands their colonies to support other species, such as the ferret and the burrowing owl.

Oostvaardersplassen (Flevoland, Netherlands)

Oostvaardersplassen is a nature reserve in the Netherlands famous for being an experiment in "extreme rewilding." Unlike American Prairie, this land was reclaimed from the sea and then left for nature to take over. The area was created in 1968 after draining seawater for industrial zones; however, once abandoned, it turned into a unique wetland.

Several large herbivores have been introduced, such as:

Konik Horses: Wild horses of Polish origin that serve as a proxy for the extinct Tarpan.

Heck Cattle: A breed created to resemble the ancient Aurochs.

Red Deer: Introduced to complete the grazing cycle of large mammals.

White-tailed Eagle: These weren't introduced by humans; they returned on their own due to the abundance of food, along with reports of Red Foxes moving into the area.

The downside: The park lacks large carnivores like wolves, bears, or lynx. As a result, the herbivore population tends to explode, leading to overgrazing.

Paleolítico Vivo (Burgos, Spain)

Paleolítico Vivo is a pioneering reserve located in Salgüero de Juarros, Spain. Unlike the previous projects, this one blends conservation with archaeological tourism, allowing visitors to see species that once inhabited the Iberian Peninsula. The reserve uses modern animals that are genetically and physically almost identical to those from thousands of years ago:

European Bison: The reserve’s most iconic animal and a key figure in the cave paintings of northern Spain. Its presence was previously criticized by those who thought it wasn't native to the peninsula, but recent fossil findings have proven otherwise.

Przewalski’s Horse: The only remaining subspecies of truly wild horse in the world (originally from Mongolia).

Aurochs (Tauros): A recreation of the ancestor of modern cattle, selectively bred to recover its ancestral appearance.

Tarpan Horses: Primitive-looking horses similar to those that once roamed Iberia. Much like the Tauros, these are horses selectively bred to resemble their extinct relatives.

For years, African hippos brought to the Colombian Magdalena River region have bred out of control, with the population reaching 169 descendants from just eight original animals. After unsuccessful efforts to rehome them in sanctuaries or zoos, environmental officials have announced plans to euthanize 80 hippos in the first phase. Further details can be found in this report-- https://share.google/l6zGVN6im3HbRMhZ5