Search for mother bear intensifies using drones and thermal cameras in Ecuador

A team of experts is racing against time to locate the mother of two Andean bear cubs discovered alone in the Papallacta region. The cubs, found on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, are awaiting their mother's return, and a decision about their future hinges on whether she can be found.

Since Thursday, specialists, park rangers, and technicians have been scouring the area where the cubs were found. The search employs a combination of ground tracking, camera traps, and drones equipped with thermal imaging technology. Andrés Laguna, a biologist specializing in wild mammal management and conservation, stated that there has been no direct sighting of the potential mother. Teams are identifying the most recent evidence to track the animal's movements.

Thermal drone flights are being conducted, and data from satellite tracking of other monitored bears, in collaboration with organizations like the Andean Condor Foundation and the San Francisco University of Quito, are being utilized. Laguna suggested that the cubs might have become separated from their mother while navigating obstacles near the road connecting Pifo and Papallacta. Mothers sometimes move ahead to overcome difficult terrain and wait for their young. Domestic dogs could also be a factor, potentially chasing a mother bear away and causing temporary separation from her cubs.

Laguna emphasized that finding a single cub does not automatically mean abandonment. "Generally, the mother is a couple of kilometers away, hidden, waiting for human intervention to cease," he explained. The search strategy also includes setting up camera traps in areas connecting food sources and using movement data to identify corridors used by female bears. Researchers are recording the cubs' vocalizations and collecting their scents to broadcast these signals in areas where the mother might be located.

The plan is to gradually bring the sounds and scents closer to the mother's location, ensuring she is not pursued or cornered. Thermal monitoring will continue throughout the week, followed by the deployment of camera traps to study the movements of breeding females in the region. The bond between a mother bear and her cubs is crucial for the survival of the young.

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Generally, the mother is a couple of kilometers away, hidden, waiting for human intervention to cease.