The Phoenix Zoo has confessed to what it's calling an 'em-bear-assing' mistake regarding one of its animals. Park officials were planning to transfer Luka to Nashville, Tennessee, when they discovered that the two-year-old Andean bear is a female, not a male as thought. According to keepers, the species' genitalia are highly undeveloped before the age of two, making it very difficult to determine gender. The Phoenix Zoo was planning to transfer Luka to Nashville, Tennessee, when they recently discovered that the Andean bear is a female, not a male as thought (above pictured in July 2013, left, and a year later, right) Apparently the Andean bear - native to South America - is also particularly difficult to sex because there has been limited captive breeding across the U.S. Many have been incorrectly sexed as cubs at other facilities in the past, the Phonenix Zoo notes. Luka was the first Andean cub successfully born and raised at the park. She was given her first medical exam at four months old when her gender was determined. She hadn't been handled too much since the check-up, as employees felt she was doing 'very well' with her mother, Rio. The animal hadn’t been handled too much since her first check-up at four months old - when her sex was determined - as employees felt she was doing very well with her mother, Rio (pictured together, above) It wasn’t until last week, when Luka underwent a routine examination and health evaluation that it was found 'he' was actually a female bear. The zoo said Luka still might go to Nashville, but now that they know she's a 'she', it opens up other options for the bear's participation in a breeding program. Experts called the mistake 'great news for the management of this rare bear'. The concluded: 'All births are critically important for this species as they are so rare in zoos, and having another young female is beneficial to the entire breeding program and survival of the species.'
Park officials were planning to transfer the animal to Tennessee when they discovered they had got the sex wrong . Experts say it is an easy mistake to make as the Andean bear cubs' genitalia are highly undeveloped before the age of two .