WHEN YOU
LOOK
Western Bluebird
Syrian Brown Bear: A Story in Flux
When you look at this Syrian brown bear, you see a story.
Syrians Bringing an Elephant and a Bear, Tomb of Rekhmire (Courtesy of Wikipedia).
Prologue of the Bear
The Syrian brown bear’s story begins in Southwest Asia, where it historically held an extant swathe of territorial range; it lived in lands of the Southern Caucasus at its northernmost extent, down to the Sinai Peninsula at its southernmost. To the east, it spread far into Iran; to the west, into Turkey. Overall, the Syrian brown bear lived in a large extent of what may now be deemed the ‘Middle East’, or Southwest Asia, including Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and the Sinai peninsula; it also extended further into the Caucasus region, into modern day Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. They are mentioned a handful of times in the Scriptures, where the bear is described in rather violent terms. Similarly, within ancient Egyptian papyruses, the bear is often listed next to the lion and the leopard, beasts seen as similarly destructive. The bear is further mentioned within ancient Egyptian art and writings, frequently depicted within artwork as an exotic animal. It is put upon a leash for the wealthy and powerful to admire and own. It is depicted falsely small, only reaching up to knee-height. Contrasting tales of a beast of violence, yet of exotic beauty and wealth were written.
The Modern Tale
The story is simple; human sprawl has caused a massive fragmentation in the habitat of the Syrian brown bear. Even before their numbers began to dwindle, this fragmentation was noticed. In the late 80’s and 90’s, when observing bear populations, Soviet researchers in the area acknowledged a “tendency toward a reduction of brown bear range in Central Asia”. The reasoning; “increased land use by humans”. This was during an observed climb in bear populations; the researchers noticed that despite the observed population increase, the groundwork was being laid for extreme challenges to the species. Human activities have turned this story into a tragedy; the construction of farmland and roadways have destroyed the bear’s habitat, as well as severed and disconnected the little that remains. This trend is reiterated repeatedly across the bears’ current and former territories. The reasons given are similar; human construction of farmland, urban centers, and roadways separate and destroy the Syrian brown bear’s habitat. The “massive introduction of firearms into the Middle East” by colonial powers intensified this effect; hunting excursions became much more intense and frequent, resulting in intensified decline of the species within much of the region of Palestine. The bear was gifted with a generous prologue, esteemed and feared, yet humans have begun to write a tragic introduction.
Ursus arctos, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2022-2. (Courtesy of IUCN and IBA 2017).
The Unwritten Ending
Syrian Brown Bear (courtesy of the Orma J. Smith Museum of Natural History).
Yet there is still much hope for the Syrian brown bear’s story. Despite being extirpated in the area, sightings have occurred in Syria. Similar sightings have occurred in Lebanon as recently as 2017. Alireza Mohammadi and Mohammad Reza Ashrafzadeh in Iran have not given up hope; through their research, they plead the case for further conservation efforts. Only around thirty percent of hospitable habitat for the bears holds a protected status; this could be greatly extended. By protecting corridors between isolated patches, and redistributing female bears, the population can grow, being able to live without encroachment by humans; this method is effective, yet considerably more viable politically than more intense conservation efforts. Conflicts in the region, as well as the development of society, make conservation difficult; it doesn’t make it impossible. The bear’s story is increasingly messy, but voices advocating for the welfare of these bears already exist within these nations. Issam Hajjar has worked diligently to track any remaining populations left near the Lebanese border, and Lebanese officials work to protect any remaining populations found. A cacophony of voices clamor to protect this bear, and to give it the ending it deserves. All we have to do is listen, and maybe pick up a pen.