Atlas bear

The Atlas bear (Ursus Arctos Crowtheri), also known as the Crowther's bear, was a subspecies of brown bear, but is considered a distinct species. It was Africa's only native bear. Once inhabiting the Atlas mountains and neighboring areas, from Morocco to Libya, the animal is now thought to be extinct. The Atlas mountains are a mountain range across a northern stretch of Africa extending about 2,500 km (1,500 miles) through Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The highest peak is Jbel Toubkal, with an elevation of 4,167 meters (13,671 ft) in southwestern Morocco. The Atlas ranges separate the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines from the Sahara desert. Thousands of these bears were hunted for sport, Venatio games, or execution of criminals ad bestias following the expansion of the Roman empire into North Africa. The last known specimen was probably killed by hunters in the 1870's in the Rif mountains of northern Morocco, although reports still surface. The muzzle and claws were shorter than that of the American black bear, though it was stouter and thicker in body. It apparently fed on roots, acorns, and nuts so it was an herbivore. The possibility has been raised that the species might still be alive in Eastern Africa, and is the source of the cryptid known as the Nandi bear. Nontheless, as the known distribution of the Atlas bear is a reflict of the desertification of the Sahara, its ancestor may have widespread in Northern and Eastern Africa in prehistoric times. The Cantabrian brown bear is likely introduced to Africa and is from an area in Northern Spain called Cantabria.