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The Atlas Bear (Ursus arctos crowtheri) was a subspecies of the Brown Bear, but is sometimes 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. 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 1870s in the Rif mountains of northern Morocco, although reports still surface.

The Atlas bear was brownish black in colour, and lacked a white mark on the muzzle. The fur on the underparts was reddish orange. The fur was 4-5 inches long. 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.

Sometimes, it is suggested that this animal might still be alive in eastern Africa, and is the source of the cryptid known as the nandi bear. This is essentially ruled out by biogeography, however. Nonetheless, as the known distribution of the Atlas Bear is a relict of the desertification of the Sahara, its ancestor may have been widespread in northern and eastern Africa in prehistoric times.

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