A Legend Exposed ― Spectacled Bear, Ecuador

Legend has it that a powerful "man-beast" inhabits the cloud forests of Ecuador. Undaunted, the Darwin team traversed rugged terrain pursuing this mythological figure. What we found was hardly mysterious: an agile bear species whose playful cubs frolic in the treetops. Mothers raise their young on steep hillsides to maintain a careful distance from overly-aggressive males. She also decides when her cub must strike out on its own. We were fortunate to witness this cruel yet inevitable separation.