Twin female spectacled bears, Kina and Josi, have a new home at Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. The bears, rescued in a collaborative effort by Inkaterra Association, Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo, the Wildlife Technical Administration, the Attorney General’s Office and the Forest Police, had been a featured act in a local circus in Arequipa, Peru where authorities deemed them well fed, but kept chained to a box inside the circus tent.

At Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, Kina and Josi join Yogui, Pepe and Coco in an established bear sanctuary. Eventually, Coco and Josi will live together in a private area where they will hopefully produce offspring.

Spectacled bears are the only surviving bear species native to South America. Deforestation and illegal hunting are threatening their survival, which in turn is negatively impacting the area’s overall ecosystem.

Inkaterra’s Spectacled Bear Project is an ongoing mission that aims to help save this endangered species from extinction by providing the best possible conditions so the bears can one day return to the wild.