When you look at this Syrian Brown Bear, you see tragedy.

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In various cultures, bears have been respected and viewed as strong, magnificent creatures. Sadly, many bear species are bordering on extinction largely due to the actions of the humans who once held them in such high regard. In the Orma J. Smith Museum of Natural History at The College of Idaho, there is a small, light gray-brown colored bear with white claws. These white claws tell us that it is a Syrian Brown Bear, the only subspecies of bear with white claws. The Syrian Brown Bear demonstrates how human advancement can harm something that was once treasured, tied to religion, viewed as brothers and ancestors, and deeply ingrained in legends throughout the world.

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Ever since bears and humans first came into contact, they have had a connection. Bears are featured in many religious stories, as cousins and forefathers, as pets and as parts of their families. While we are not as close to bears today as we once were, we still interact with them through science, researching their brains and how they are similar to us.

 

Today, many subspecies of bears, specifically the Syrian Brown Bear, are close to extinction.  Their near extinction is largely due to lack of habitat and poaching. As humans spread out, bears lose habitat and are forced closer and closer to where we live in search of food and places to live. Because they are venturing closer, there are more and more human and bear interactions. These interactions are often bears taking crops and livestock for food, which angers the humans leading to the bears being killed to protect crops and in retaliation. Bears are also poached for their parts. Many organs are used in medicine and can be sold for a good price.

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It is tragic that the unique Syrian Brown Bears are now on the edge of extinction, where once they were important enough to be featured in Turkish legends as caregivers for small children.