Atlas Bear
Extinct circa 1870 CE • Atlas Mountains
A type of brown bear, the Atlas Bear was Africa's only native bear species. It is elusive throughout the historical record, possibly hunted into scarcity during the Roman Empire. The last confirmed kill of an Atlas Bear occurred in 1870 by hunters in Morocco's Tetouan Mountains, although a handful of anecdotal sightings were recorded into the 20th century.
Image: Roman (Tunisian) mosaic depicting bears, likely the Atlas Bear. Bardo National Museum, Tunisia
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