Rare Footage of a Mother Marsican Bear and Her Cubs Captivates Viewers

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Alongside its famous gelato, pasta, and art, Italy is home to another incredible national treasure: the Marsican bear. These amazing animals are found exclusively in Italy, but sadly, they are on the brink of extinction. Fortunately, this video captured a few precious moments of a rare mother Marsican bear and her four adorable cubs!

The Marsican Bear

Also known as the Apennine bear, the Marsican bear (Ursus arctos arctos) is an exceptionally unique subspecies of brown bear and one of the rarest mammals on Earth. Although it shares many similarities with other brown bears, the Marsican bear is distinct and unique. Male Marsican bears are massive and often weigh over 475 pounds. Standing upright, they can reach heights over 6.5 feet.

Beyond their appearance, Marsican bears stand out due to their surprisingly peaceful nature. Primarily herbivores, these Italian bears prefer eating fruit over meat. They are also known for their calm demeanor, displaying no aggression toward humans.

Why Are Marsican Bears So Rare?

Marsican bears live only in and around Italy’s Abruzzo, Lazio, and Molise National Park. Although there were once hundreds of these bears in Italy, they were nearly hunted to extinction. Today, only around 50 individuals live in a very small and isolated population in the central Apennine Mountains. This beautiful region is filled with tall peaks and lush woodlands, which are perfect for Marsican bears.

Unfortunately, however, newer villages and farms have fragmented the bears’ habitat and isolated them from their crucial feeding grounds. The bears seasonally travel to their feeding and denning sites, but this is extremely difficult — and sometimes impossible — due to sporadic human settlements and the fragmented landscape. Without access to their typical food source, Marsican bears sometimes venture into and through human settlements to find food and to reach other natural areas. This can cause many problems for both humans and bears. In addition, Marsican bears are still in danger of illegal poaching, being hit by cars, and accidental poisoning.

Conservation Efforts

Even with such a small population in the wild, various groups are working to protect and preserve Italy’s beautiful Marsican bear. Rewilding Europe, for example, located several abandoned orchards a few miles outside of the national park and painstakingly removed fences and barbed wire so the bears could have access to them. Increasing the bears’ access to natural resources helps to minimize the risk of bears venturing into human settlements in search of food. The group is also working to create safe natural corridors that allow the bears to move freely without encountering humans or cars.