By Monica Machicao and Santiago Limachi
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – In the Andean valleys of deepest, darkest Bolivia (not Peru this time), a “Paddington” bear has inspired a shelter for almost a thousand wild animals rescued from poachers.
The type of Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus), the only one native to South America, is the inspiration behind beloved fictional bear Paddington, who travels to London, is adopted by a family and eats lashings of marmalade.
It was one such Andean bear in need of help called Aruma that led Vicky Ossio and her husband 15 years ago to turn their property about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from highland city La Paz into a wildlife sanctuary, which now has rescued some 900 animals.
“Despite the fact that in the film they used an orange bear, this is the only bear that lives in Peru — that is the Andean bear, which in Bolivia is known as the jucumari bear,” said Ossio, founder of the Senda Verde reserve.
“It is the jucumari bear that marks a before and after in Senda Verde, the moment we decided to welcome this bear here.”
Aruma was rescued from captivity almost blind due to blows he had received and today he lives together with other Andean ‘Paddington’ bears, the same ones that in 1958 inspired English author Michael Bond to write his children’s stories.
The fictional bear was found on Paddington station in London with with a tag saying: “Please look after this bear”.
Aruma spends most of his time relaxing in hammocks, though Ossio says that during the pandemic the center has seen a rise in animals who were trafficked, maltreated or abandoned.
Andrea Noelia Chalcon, a volunteer at the reserve, was caring for two baby bears.
“This baby was very sick when he arrived, he was on the verge of death due to malnutrition and mistreatment,” she said.
“Now he’s progressing and growing, while before he was struggling to survive. That’s what motivates me to keep taking care of them.”
(Reporting by Monica Machicao and Santiago Limachi; Editing by Adam Jourdan and Sandra Maler)
