The only known bear with white claws.
The Syrian bear (Ursus arctos syriacus) is the smallest of the brown bears. It lives in the highlands of the Middle East, but its population is systematically declining. It has light coloring and white claws, which is unique among bears. He is especially close to the Poles, because it was the Syrian bear Wojtek who bravely “fought” at Monte Cassino along with Polish soldiers.
The Syrian bear (Ursus arctos syriacus) is a subspecies of the brown bear.
Historically, the brown bear ranged from Turkey to Turkmenistan in the Middle East.
In Syria, bear tracks were recorded in the snow in the Anti-Lebanon Mountains in 2004 - the first time this happened in almost fifty years. In 2011, bear tracks were again recorded in this area. In 2017, a female with cubs was spotted in Lebanon for the first time in 60 years.
Important habitats for this bear in Turkey are the forests of the Mediterranean belt, the deciduous and coniferous forests of the Black Sea region and northeastern Turkey, as well as the dry forests of Eastern Anatolia.
Their ranges range from 500 to 2700 m. In Iran, the bear is found in the protected area of the Alborz mountain range (northern Iran) and in the Zagroz mountains. In these regions it is found at high altitudes.
Learn interesting facts about bears.
The Syrian bear is the smallest subspecies of brown bear.
The fur of the Syrian bear is usually light brown, straw-colored.
It is the only known bear in the world to have white claws.
The Syrian bear is primarily threatened by habitat loss.
In 2018, Iraqi troops killed a Syrian sleeping bear on the Iraq-Syria border.
Syrian bear numbers are declining and may be endangered in the wild (one of the categories that determine a species' endangered status).
He is omnivorous.
The Syrian bear is also present in the culture.
The most famous Syrian bear was Wojtek the bear, which was adopted by Polish soldiers during World War II.
Wojtek took part in the Battle of Monte Cassino. He was the mascot of the soldiers, whom he bravely helped by carrying artillery loads. He initially received the rank of private and was later promoted to corporal. He went with the soldiers the entire battle path, received a salary and even had to report. After the war he was sent to Edinburgh Zoo, where he died in 1963.