Were there ever any bears in Africa?

Answer 1

Zoology maintains no bears live in Africa now but ursine fossils have been discovered there. There was one called the Atlas bear. It was a subspecies of the Brown Bear, but sometimes considered a distinct species. It was Africa's only native bear. Once inhabiting the Atlas Mountains from Morocco to Libya, it is now thought to be extinct.

Answer 2

Zoology maintains no bears live in Africa now but ursine fossils have been discovered there. There was one called the Atlas bear. It was a subspecies of the Brown Bear, but sometimes considered a distinct species. It was Africa's only native bear. Once inhabiting the Atlas Mountains from Morocco to Libya, it is now thought to be extinct.

Answer 3

Bears I think is a Northern America thing, too warm in Africa for Bears.

Answer 4

Bears (family Ursidae) are large mammals in the order Carnivora. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern Hemisphere and partially in the Southern Hemisphere.

Common characteristics of modern bears include a large body with stocky legs, a long snout, shaggy hair, paws with five nonretractile claws, and a short tail. While the polar bear is mostly carnivorous and the giant panda feeds almost entirely on bamboo, the remaining six species are omnivorous, with largely varied diets including both plants and animals.

With the exceptions of courting individuals and mothers with their young, bears are typically solitary animals. They are sometimes diurnal, but are usually active during the night (nocturnal) or twilight (crepuscular). Bears are aided by an excellent sense of smell, and despite their heavy build and awkward gait, they can run quickly and be adept climbers and swimmers. Bears use shelters such as caves and burrows as their dens, which are occupied by most species during the winter for a long period of sleep similar to hibernation.

Bears have been hunted since prehistoric times for their meat and fur. To this day, they play a prominent role in the arts, mythology, and other cultural aspects of various human societies. In modern times, bears have been exploited through the encroachment of their habitats and the illegal trade of bears and bear parts, including the Asian bile bear market. The IUCN lists six bear species as vulnerable or endangered, and even "least concern" species such as the brown bear are at risk of extirpation in certain countries. The poaching and international trade of these most threatened populations is prohibited, but still ongoing.

Bears live in a variety of habitats from the tropics to the Arctic and from forests to snowfields. They are mainly omnivorous, although some have a more specialized diet, such as polar bears who mainly consume fish and marine mammalia. They eat lichens, roots, nuts, and berries. They can also go to a river or other body of water to capture fish. Bears will commonly travel far for food. Hunting times are usually in the dusk or the dawn except when humans are nearby.

I think Africa is too hot for the bear's habitat.