Tamá — a male Andean (spectacled) bear rescued as a cub in 2014 and the subject of a nationwide conservation campaign — died during a transfer to his native habitat just hours before authorities planned to release him back into the wild. The loss has prompted expressions of sorrow from conservation bodies and renewed attention to the fragile future of Colombia’s only native bear species, local outlet El Espectador reports.
Rescue and rehabilitation
Tamá’s story began in 2014, when he was found as an orphaned cub after the presumed killing of his mother. The young bear was taken into care by Colombia’s National Parks Unit and later entered a prolonged rehabilitation program under the Fundación Parque Jaime Duque and partner centers.
According to El Tiempo, over more than a decade of care, veterinarians and wildlife experts rehabilitated him, monitored his behavior, and prepared him for eventual reintroduction to the Parque Nacional Natural Tamá — the very region that inspired his name.
A dramatic escape that captured public attention
Tamá became a household name in 2022 after a dramatic escape from the Bioparque (sometimes named Wakatá / Parque Jaime Duque), when he disappeared for 15 days in September of that year.
A high-profile search and capture operation — followed by public fascination with the bear’s brief life on the loose — convinced many experts that Tamá possessed the natural skills necessary for survival in the wild. That episode was frequently cited by authorities as evidence he was ready to return to his native forests, according to Caracol Radio.
Planned release and sudden death
Authorities had scheduled Tamá’s definitive release for mid-December 2025 after an inter-institutional operation led by Parques Nacionales and partner organizations. The multi-stage transfer included air and ground transport to reach remote release sites inside the Parque Nacional Natural Tamá.
According to official statements, Tamá died during the transfer process; the exact cause has not yet been determined and will be established by scientific and veterinary investigations, although preliminary opinions say his death might have been caused by respiratory defficiencies.
Officials described the event as a profound loss and expressed solidarity with the public and the conservation teams that worked on the case.
Why Tamá mattered
Beyond the personal tragedy, Tamá’s death resonates because Andean bears (also called spectacled bears) are classified as vulnerable and play important ecological roles in Andean forests — dispersing seeds and helping maintain habitat structure.
Tamá’s rehabilitation and planned release had been framed by authorities as a conservation success story: Rescue from human-related harm, long-term veterinary care, behavioral rehabilitation, and finally an attempt to reintegrate him into a protected ecosystem where he had been born.
Conservation groups and park authorities have said Tamá’s life illustrated both the promise and the fragility of wildlife recovery work in Colombia.
What comes next
Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia and the Fundacion Parque Jaime Duque have promised a transparent follow-up: Necropsy and scientific analysis to determine cause of death, and a review of procedures used during the transfer.
For Colombian conservationists and the public, the immediate priority is understanding what happened and drawing lessons that might prevent future losses during high-risk releases.
In the meantime, Tamá’s story — from orphaned cub to celebrity escapee to would-be conservation success — will remain a poignant reminder of both the advances and the challenges in protecting vulnerable wildlife.