Syrian Brown Bear

The Syrian brown bear (Ursus arctos syriacus or Ursus arctos arctos) is smallest subspecies of the brown bear, about two to two and a half metres in length and weighing up to around 250 kg. The bear became extinct in Syria around fifty years ago, and much longer ago than that in Israel, Lebanon and the Sinai Peninsula. Often the legs are darker than the rest of the body.  The only bear in the world known to have white claws.

Life span is presumed to be 20 to 25 years in the wild. Information on this subspecies is sparse.  Builds a winter den in caves or tree hollows (frequently in the higher altitude birch forests).  Mating is believed to occur between May and July. The cubs are born in the den around January or early February.

Through the development of agriculture, conflict with humans increases.