The national animal of Syria is the Syrian brown bear. This animal is an important national symbol that embodies a great many Syrian values. It is also seen as a more physical symbol of Syria’s landscape. The bear was chosen as Syria’s official national animal for a number of reasons.
Bears are among the most symbolically significant animals in human culture generally and especially in some places.
In Syria, the brown bear is widely regarded as a revered and centrally important member of the local wildlife.
Without it, the country’s ecology would no doubt look very different.
Let’s find out more.
What is the national animal of Syria?
The national animal of Syria is the Syrian brown bear.
This is a small subspecies of the Eurasian brown bear which is very closely related to North America’s grizzly bear.
They are mostly found around the Caucasus Mountains, and are broadly native to the Middle East and West-Central Asia.
They have light brown, even straw-colored fur, which is a contrast to most Eurasian brown bears whose fur tends to be considerably darker.
They have longer hair on their withers which is also typically a contrasting shade to the rest of their bodies.
Even among this subspecies, though, the exact color of the fur can vary, and the lighter color often appears at higher altitudes.
They have white claws, and are the only known species of bear in the world to have claws this color.
They are physically smaller than most brown bears.
Their skulls are around 12 to 16 inches in an adult male, and they weigh up to 550 pounds—they will measure around 40 to 55 inches from nose to tail.
Mother bears give birth in a den and are highly protective of their cubs, litter sizes usually being anywhere from one to three cubs.
Darker coats in bears typically aid them in colder climates, as it allows them to absorb more heat and warmth from the sun.
So, presumably, the lighter coat of the Syrian brown bear is an adaptation to help it keep cooler in the hot desert sun.
Syrian brown bears are even specifically mentioned in the Bible.
A mother bear’s protectiveness is used three times as a proverb in the Hebrew Bible, and a Syrian brown bear is described to maul young men who threatened a woman.
It’s clear to see, then, that the cultural significance of this animal goes much further back than the modern nation state of Syria.
Why is the Syrian brown bear the national animal of Syria?
The Syrian brown bear is the national animal of Syria for a variety of reasons.
On the one hand, they are seen as important cultural symbols in a variety of ways.
They are images of strength, courage, power and pride, the bear embodying all of these things for the people of Syria.
As mentioned, this also is not a new idea; bears have been used in this part of the world as images of protection for many centuries, even millennia.
They are protector sprits in their enormous strength.
On the other hand, though, they are also more literally seen as embodiments of Syrian beauty.
The physical landscape of the Syrian countryside is reflected in the brown bear, and they are naturally a very important part of the national ecosystem.
As apex predators, nothing threatens them, and thus they have a considerable impact on the environments in which they live.
So, they are both literally and metaphorically important.
But there is also the question of conservation.
The Syrian brown bear is listed as endangered by the IUCN Red List, and so serious efforts will need to be undertaken to ensure their continued survival.
Making them the national animal brings awareness to this.
Where do Syrian brown bears live?
Syrian brown bears lived once as far as from the Middle East to Turkey and Turkmenistan.
They are much more rare in Syria today and some even consider them to be completely absent from Syria.
They have been extirpated from Israel, Jordan, and Palestine. They survive mostly in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iraq, and Lebanon.
They inhabit Mediterranean belt forests, deciduous and conifer forests as well as oak and pine forest around the Black Sea.
So, sadly, their range is much more limited compared to its historical size.
Are Syrian brown bears endangered?
Syrian brown bears are officially listed as endangered.
They are threatened by a number of different factors.
The fragmentation of the forest is one big problem for them, as well as the general degradation of their habitat.
As human activity removes more and more of the places they are best adapted to live, fewer and fewer are able to survive.
They are also commonly persecuted by humans where they can damage beehives and livestock.
They are also hunted illegally for their fat. Hunting traps intended for other animals can also be a big problem for these bears.
They face many problems, then, and again major efforts will be needed to preserve the species.
So, with a precarious conservation position, this subspecies of the Eurasian brown bear is important to the people of Syria in a variety of ways.
Of course, it is a power symbol, embodying strength, courage, and pride, but at the same time, it is at serious risk of becoming extinct if major efforts are not taken to preserve it.
For this and many other reasons, it is the national animal of Syria.