A trail camera in Armenia’s Caucasus Wildlife Refuge has captured the elusive subspecies in intimate detail, following a joint project between the World Land Trust and their Armenian partner organisation, the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets. There’s thought to be just 150 remaining in the country, and just two or three may live within the refuge. Their populations continue to decline across their range, which includes: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkmenistan, Iran, Iraq and Turkey. It’s believed to now be extinct in Syria, Israel and Lebanon, due to factors such as a loss of habitat due to more intensive agriculture, mining activities and encounters with farmers protecting their bee hives and orchards.

The Caucasus Wildlife Refuge is a much needed sanctuary for the Syrian Brown Bear and is home to a rich variety of other species, including the endangered Caucasian Leopard and Bearded Vulture. The protected region was recently expanded with the acquisition of two areas of mountainous habitat, through funding from the WLT. More extensions to the refuge are in the pipeline.

The subspecies can be differentiated from the Eurasian Brown Bear primarily through its smaller size, lighter fur and shorter claws.