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GB FIRST: RARE ANDEAN
BEAR CUB BORN AT
CHESTER ZOO
THE DUCHESS OF
WESTMINSTER OFFICIALLY
OPENS HOSPICE’S NEW
EXTENSION AND LIVING
WELL CENTRE IN CHESTER
The first Andean bear to be born in mainland Great
Britain has emerged from its den at Chester Zoo – and it’s
absolutely adorable.
The rare cub which is yet to be sexed, arrived to parents Lima (5) and
Bernardo (7) in January and after spending months snuggled away in its
den, has now started to venture out and explore for the first time. Made
famous in the UK through the classic children’s character Paddington
Bear, the Andean bear is the only bear to inhabit South America. They
are found in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. The
species is listed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for
the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and conservation experts from the
zoo say the birth of the cub is especially significant given how threatened
the species is.
Tim Rowlands, curator of mammals at the zoo, said: “The cub was tiny
when it was born but Lima is doing a fantastic job, particularly given
that she’s a first time mum, and the cub is developing quickly. Lima is
keeping her new charge close and she certainly has her paws full. But
even though she’s not letting it stray too from her side, we can already
see that her cub has a real playful side. This is a momentous breeding
success for us. To become the first zoo in mainland Great Britain to ever
breed the species is an amazing achievement – one that has taken years of
careful planning, dedication and skill. Andean bears are still something
of a mystery to conservationists and not a huge amount is known about
them. But by working closely with the bears here, breaking new ground
with this breeding, we’re constantly learning about this amazing species.
We’re able to relay much of this information to our field conservation
teams and partners in the wild and it’s information that could be very
important in terms of ensuring a long-term future for the bears.”
Population estimates for the species were last made a decade ago, placing
wild numbers at just 20,000. Conservation scientists are convinced that
their numbers have since continued to decrease but are currently unsure
of exactly how many remain in the wild. The main threat to the Andean
bear is habitat loss, with some 30% of the forests that contain sufficient
food having disappeared in the past 20 years. Hundreds of bears are
also illegally killed by farmers and business owners every year, largely
to prevent them raiding crops and livestock - believed to be a result of
climate change which has created a food shortage in the bears’ natural
habitat.
The Duchess of Westminster has officially opened the
new extension and Living Well Centre at the Hospice of
the Good Shepherd in Chester.
This special occasion enabled the Hospice to thank everyone who
supported the project and gave invited guests an opportunity to see
the huge difference the new facilities have made. The Duchess was
keen to meet some of the patients, members of staff and volunteers
as part of the event while she was taken on a tour of the new building
and Living Well Centre.
Margaret Wright, Chief Executive of Hospice of the Good Shepherd,
said, “We were privileged to welcome the Duchess of Westminster to
formally open the new extension and Living Well Centre. Hospice
services have traditionally been seen as supporting people who are
approaching the end of their life. We are extremely pleased with
the new extension and Living Well Centre which provides vastly
improved facilities for our patients and their families. Within the
Living Well Centre, our aim is to involve people at an earlier stage.
In addition to supporting patients following a diagnosis, we are also
able to provide support to their families and carers who are important
to them.”
The new extension includes a welcoming reception area, inviting
Coffee Shop, and staff offices. Whilst the Living Well Centre includes
a multi faith room, spacious day room , four single en-suite inpatient
rooms, private consultation/treatment rooms and offers a range of
services, such as complementary therapies and physiotherapy. This
has increased the capacity for day patients by 150%. The Hospice
supports patients, families and carers with a variety of progressive
conditions for which there is no cure, such as cancer, heart, kidney
and respiratory diseases, and some neurological conditions such as
Motor Neurone Disease and Parkinson’s Disease.
For more information about the services, events and volunteering
please visit www.hospicegs.com
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