The Atlas bear is a subspecies of the brown bear, but in some cases it is considered a separate species. This species is currently considered extinct. The Atlas bear and its features will be discussed in this article.
Area
The African continent is home to various animal species. The warm climate also played a significant role in this. Here you can see elephants, lions, giraffes, hippos, rhinos and other animals. Also here in the 19th century it was possible to meet the Atlas bear, no matter how surprising it may sound. They lived in the Atlas Mountains, the chain of which consists of 4 ridges:
- High Satin;
- Sahara Atlas;
- Tell Atlas;
- Middle Satin.
The Moroccan Meseta, high plateaus and plains adjoin these mountains. On the slopes of the mountains there were evergreen shrubs and small areas with stone and cork trees. Cedar and mixed forests grew at medium altitudes. A variety of animals lived in them, which were food for the Atlas bear. However, the merciless and senseless felling led to sadconsequences. Due to the destruction of the forest, almost all the animals that served as food for the bears died or left the area.
Initially, the population of bears in these places was quite numerous. Until the soldiers of the Roman Empire appeared on the African continent, who treated hunting as entertainment. With their arrival, the population of various animal species began to decline, including Atlas bears. Hundreds of bears were sent to Rome to participate in recreational activities, as a result of which the bears most often died.
Description
The Atlas bear was the closest relative of the brown bear and lived in the Atlas Mountains, which are located on the territory of modern Libya and Morocco. Currently, this species of bears is considered completely exterminated, but some scientists disagree with this statement. They suggest that there are a few individuals left, thanks to which the population can be restored. The official version says that the last Atlas bear was killed around the 70s of the XX century.
For the first time, a scientific description of this species of bears was made at the beginning of the 18th century by French explorers and naturalists. An interesting fact: the skin of a recently killed bear served as the basis for describing the new species. In 1830, there is a mention that a brown Atlas bear was caught and then sent to one of the French zoos. This species belonged to the order of predators, but some researchers suggest that theserepresentatives of the bear family also ate fruits and berries.
Distinguishing Features
This type of bear differs from others in that it has a growth lower than that of brown individuals. Also, the Atlas has a stocky, downed build and a short muzzle. The back is covered with long and dense hair of a dark brown color, and on the stomach - with a reddish tinge or red-brown.
The length of the coat reached from 10 to 12 cm. There were individuals with a white spot on the muzzle. Otherwise, the external signs are similar to other types of bears, for example, brown ones. The length of the claws of the Atlas representatives of the bear family was 3–4 cm shorter than that of their brown counterparts.
Because of these features of the Atlas bear, some scientists classify it as a separate species. However, representatives of fundamental science unequivocally state that this is a close relative of the brown bear.
Conclusion
An interesting and mysterious fact is that no information about the presence of the Atlas bear in the Marseille Museum (which was given a link in open sources) has been preserved. However, researchers say that this is not surprising, because most of the archive was lost in the fire.
It can be stated that due to human activities, a unique species of predators was destroyed. It remains to be hoped that a few individuals survived and are hiding from humans, as some scientists say. In this case, there is a small chance to restore the population of these unusualbears.
Every year, several species of plants and animals completely disappear on earth, in connection with which scientists are sounding the alarm. Mankind needs to radically reconsider its attitude towards nature and animals. Stop the destruction of forests and the extermination of animals, otherwise we risk being left alone on our planet.
