The Philadelphia Zoo's Andean bear is leaving for good next week

Bear lovers are down to their final days to see the Philadelphia Zoo's Andean bear, Sinchi, before he moves to another zoo.

The zoo is relocating its three bears while it completes a $20 million renovation of its Bear Country exhibit. Sloth bears Bhalu and Kayla are set to return when the exhibit reopens in 2025, but Sinchi is being permanently transferred to another member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums as part of a breeding program.

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Sinchi is slated to leave sometime during the week of Nov. 18. The zoo hasn't revealed where Sinchi is headed because they are deferring to the new location to make the announcement. That news is expected to come later this month.

Sinchi, 4, came to Philadelphia as a cub from the Salisbury Zoo in Maryland as part of a breeding program. Andean bears are considered a vulnerable species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, and could move to an endangered classification as early as 2030.

Andean bears are native to South America and are considered the "most herbivorous" of all bear species, eating mostly fruit, grasses, berries and sugar cane, according to the zoo. Also called the spectacled bear, they are distinguished by unique cream or white markings on their heads, throats and chests. They can climb up to 80 feet into a tree canopy.

The habitat renovation includes a see-through mesh trail in which the bears can roam, a "cubbing-friendly yard" for bear moms and a new glass viewing area.

As part of the project, the zoo's Humboldt penguins will be temporarily sent to another accredited facility. Its flamingos are being relocated to another habitat in the zoo, too.

The Philadelphia Zoo, at 3400 W. Girard Ave., is open daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.