The island of Hispaniola, shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti, possesses a unique array of wildlife. Many people traveling to the Caribbean wonder about the presence of large land predators, such as members of the bear family (Ursidae). This curiosity stems from common assumptions about fauna found in large tropical ecosystems. The island’s distinct ecological history has resulted in a mammalian population far different from that of continental landmasses.
The Current Absence of Bears
Bears do not currently inhabit the Dominican Republic or the wider island of Hispaniola. This absence lies in the principles of island biogeography. Large terrestrial mammals, particularly those in the order Carnivora, face immense difficulty crossing the vast stretches of ocean necessary to colonize isolated islands. Island ecosystems generally support a limited number of large terrestrial carnivores due to resource constraints. The closest present-day bear populations, such as the American black bear (Ursus americanus), are found across North America, separated by hundreds of miles of water. Without a land bridge connection, the successful migration and establishment of a large animal like a bear is ecologically improbable.
Native Terrestrial Mammals of Hispaniola
Since large continental predators are missing, the native terrestrial mammalian fauna of Hispaniola is characterized by smaller, evolutionarily distinct species. The island’s only two surviving native non-flying land mammals are the Hispaniolan Solenodon (Solenodon paradoxus) and the Hispaniolan Hutia (Plagiodontia aedium). Both species are endemic, meaning they are found nowhere else in the world.
The solenodon is a nocturnal, shrew-like insectivore notable for being one of the few venomous mammals. It uses modified lower incisors to inject toxic saliva into its prey, which primarily consists of invertebrates found in the leaf litter.
The hutia is a relatively large, herbivorous rodent, sometimes described as resembling a giant guinea pig. Hutias are primarily arboreal, feeding on leaves, fruits, and bark, and they often use tree cavities or limestone caves as dens.
While these two species are the only native land mammals that do not fly, bats are the most numerous and diverse group of mammals on the island. Over a dozen species of bats, including the sooty-mustached bat and the Antillean ghost-faced bat, are abundant in the island’s diverse habitats, filling many of the ecological niches occupied by other mammals elsewhere.
Prehistoric Fauna and the Caribbean Ecosystem
Although no bears ever called Hispaniola home, the island once hosted a variety of unique megafauna that have since become extinct. Fossil evidence reveals the presence of several species of ground sloths, such as Neocnus dousman and Parocnus, which were descendants of mainland South American sloths. These were the largest native terrestrial animals on the island, some of which were semi-arboreal. Another notable extinct mammal was the Hispaniola monkey (Antillothrix bernensis), a small primate. This monkey, along with the ground sloths, survived into the Holocene epoch, possibly existing until shortly after European colonization. Their disappearance coincided with the arrival of humans and the introduction of non-native predators, which rapidly altered the island’s delicate ecosystem.