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BEARS
BROWN BEAR Ursus arctos
Identification This is the largest surviving carnivore in the region. It
is powerfully built with a very short tail, and has a large head with a
longish muzzle and prominent rounded ears. The legs are fairly long
and heavy, with large paws armed with long claws. The coat is fairly
long, shaggy and coarse, with its colour ranging from pale sandy-
yellow or grey to darker brown.
Size Shoulder height 90–120 cm.
Weight 12 0 –250 kg.
Habitat and Behaviour The Brown Bear probably once lived in a wide
range of habitats in the region, but is now restricted to mountain
country (although at least in Iran it will move onto the plains at times).
Brown Bears are true omnivores that take a wide range of animal and
plant foods. They will kill larger mammals, including domestic livestock
up to the size of a horse, and can become a nuisance. Brown Bears
hibernate in the mountain ranges where snow falls in winter, such
as the Zagros and Alborz in Iran. Apart from digging dens they will
also lie up in caves, crevices and dense vegetation. In the region they
are mainly solitary except when a female is accompanied by young.
Mating takes place in May–July over much of the bear’s range, but
implantation is usually delayed until October or November. Cubs are
born during January–March and usually number 2 (with a range of
1–4), each weighing more than 300 g.
Distribution and Status The Brown Bear has disappeared from many
areas across its regional range. Populations used to occur in Palestine,
Lebanon, Jordan and Syria, but the species is now extinct in these
countries. Small numbers may survive in the Kurdish region of Iraq.
Scattered populations persist across Iran, particularly in the Alborz