View source for Marsican brown bear

{{Short description|Population of the brown bear}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{population taxobox
| name = Marsican brown bear
| image = Orso bruno marsicano.jpg
| image_caption = 
| status = CR
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/pdf/121229971/attachment|title=Brown Bear (''Ursus arctos'') Isolated Subpopulations|publisher=IUCN |access-date=August 29, 2022}}</ref>
| status2 = E
| status2_system = ESA
| status2_ref = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://awionline.org/content/list-endangered-species#mammals|title=Endangered Species|website=awionline.org}}</ref>
| genus = Ursus
| species = arctos
| species_link = Brown bear
| subspecies = arctos
| population = Marsican brown bear
| authority = Altobello, 1921
| synonyms = ''Ursus arctos marsicanus''
}}

[[File:Parkmap.gif|thumb|A broad view of the National Park of Abruzzo]]

The '''Marsican brown bear''' (''Ursus arctos arctos'',<ref name="MSW3">{{MSW3 Wozencraft |id=14000970 |pages=588–589 |heading=''Ursus arctos''}}</ref> formerly ''Ursus arctos marsicanus''), also known as the '''Apennine brown bear''', is a [[critically endangered]]<ref name="IUCN">{{cite iucn |url=https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/41688/1 |title=Ursus arctos |author1=Djuro Huber (Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe |author2=Bear Specialist Group) |year=2006 }}</ref> population of the [[Eurasian brown bear]], with a range restricted to the [[Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise]], and the surrounding region in [[Italy]]. The Marsican brown bear differs slightly from other [[brown bear]]s  in its appearance and [[hibernation]] techniques. The bear's popular name is derived from [[Marsica]], a historic area of the modern-day region of [[Abruzzo]] where the bear has long had a significant presence. 

With their existence dwindling, the Italian government has recently begun to stress their conservation. The park has become a sanctuary dedicated to animals such as the Marsican brown bear, with hopes of rekindling the large, yet isolative bears' once-thriving existence. Debate exists as to whether it should be considered a subspecies or a [[taxon]] of its own.<ref name="Loy" >{{Citation | last=Loy |first=A. |author2=P. Genov |author3=M. Galfoc |author4=M. G. Jacobonec |author5= A. Vigna Tagliantic |year=2008 |title=Cranial morphometrics of the Apennine brown bear (''Ursus arctos marsicanus'') and preliminary notes on the relationships with other southern European populations |journal=Italian Journal of Zoology |volume=75 |issue=1 |pages=67–75 |doi=10.1080/11250000701689857 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

== Characteristics/biology ==
The Marsican brown bear lives its life in isolation and their numbers are dwindling, with 50 bears remaining in the [[Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise]]. They have characteristics that differ from other brown bear subspecies. The Marsican brown bear, otherwise known as the Apennine brown bear, has a relatively calm temperament, with no aggression shown towards humans. In terms of size, the male Marsican brown bear is larger than most of the other brown bear subspecies, with a weight of around {{convert|217|kg|lb|abbr=off}}, while the female is significantly smaller, at around {{convert|140|kg|lb|abbr=off}}. These bears are known to be [[Omnivore|omnivorous]] in nature, mainly eating berries, while occasionally eating small animals such as chickens and other livestock. All of these traits the bear shows can likely be attributed to its existence in isolation. Baby Marsican brown bears tend to grow up fairly quickly. In a standing position, the Marsican brown bear can reach heights of up to two metres. Their large size, as well as noticeably different forepaws to their rear are characteristics that help distinguish their presence. The footprints, hair residue, colour of faeces, and claw marks the bears leave are special to their species. These large mammals have been spotted rolling rocks over in search of insects as well as reaching high into branches looking for berries, [[honey]], etc. Their great sense of smell makes up for their mediocre eyesight when it comes to searching for food. A characteristic of the Marsican brown bear is that their winter hibernation is not made up of a single consecutive slumber. The bear wakes at times, which makes their official resurgence less [[Lethargy|lethargic]].

Through the years, the Marsican brown bear became the symbol of the Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise and lent its name to {{lang|it|pan dell'orso}} (bear bread) and other traditional regional foods. Thanks to its presence, ecotourism improved in the whole Abruzzi region, though conflicts with [[shepherd]]s and honey farmers are still reported. In prehistoric times, hundreds of bears used to live in these mountains.{{citation needed|date=November 2019}}

== Behaviour ==
The Marsican brown bear's behaviour is relatively typical of any [[brown bear]]. These bears are mainly [[Nocturnality|nocturnal]], except when with their cubs, or mating, where they seem to be very independent and self-contained. Mating season for these bears is usually between May and July, landing birthing of the cubs in early winter.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bearconservation.org.uk/marsican-or-appenine-brown-bear/|title=Marsican brown bear (Appenine &#91;sic&#93; brown bear) – Bear Conservation|website=www.bearconservation.org.uk|access-date=2017-11-07}}</ref> Around February every year females give birth anywhere from one to three cubs, weighing less than {{Convert|500|g|oz}} at birth, but heavily relying on the size of their mother.<ref name=":0" />

Marsican brown bear cubs grow up very quickly because of their mother's fat-induced milk they feed on, allowing them to roam on their own and be independent after only a few months of existence. On average, Marsican Brown Bear cubs stay with their mothers for a little over a year. As they grow older, females become [[Fertility|fertile]] and sexually mature at around age three, allowing [[reproduction]] early in the mother's life.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.parcoabruzzo.it/Escheda-orso.php|title=Marsican brown bear {{!}} Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise|website=www.parcoabruzzo.it|access-date=2017-11-07}}</ref>

These bears mature very quickly and develop a very good sense of hearing and smell, which helps them find food and roam their environment. In contrast, the eyesight of the Marsican brown bear is rather ordinary, or average.

=== Diet ===
As they start to grow, they turn to eating more of a plant-based diet including grass, fruit, berries, etc. Because they are [[omnivore]]s, it is a common pattern seen with this specific subspecies of brown bears.<ref name=":1" />

The bear's favorite food is the buckthorn berry, which they feast on in the late summer time in the mountains of the Abruzzo park, where the remainder of the subspecies live.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ecotur.org/en/marsican_brown_bear.xhtml|title=Marsican Brown Bear|last=www.nettamente.com|first=Nettamente -|website=www.ecotur.org|access-date=2017-11-07}}</ref> Other components of their diet include meat, eating [[Carrion|carcasses]] as well as hunting for certain wild animals, which is why they are not considered a harmful [[Predation|predator]] to those around them. On the other hand, some [[domestic animals]], including [[sheep]], [[chicken]]s, [[Domestic turkey|turkey]]s and a few others may fall victim to the bear and its sharp claws.<ref name=":1"/> Aside from its eating habits, the Marsican brown bear also learns to begin to look for a dry and safe place to spend its winter.

== Environment ==
The few remaining Marsican brown bears are in the [[Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise]], where high peaks merge into woodland, with much water and land, with scattered villages.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Boscagli |first=G.|journal= Aquilo, Series Zoologica|volume=27|date=1990|pages=81–83|title=Marsican brown bear population in central Italy - status report 1985|id = {{ProQuest|16229891}}}}</ref> Although wooded environments are usually preferred, it is not uncommon for bears to reach high altitude grasslands or cultivated areas on valley floors. 

There are roughly only 50 of these bears left mainly due to loss of habitat. They are often killed accidentally by being [[poison]]ed, or hit by motor vehicles; and intentionally by [[Poaching]]. Bears often travel in Abruzzo to the high-altitude meadows in the summer, and then down to the warmer areas of valley when the temperatures start to cool. As the temperature decreases, the bears learn awareness to start looking for a dormitory, and planning out their winter.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Animal Facts Marsican Brown Bear |url=http://www.second-opinion-doc.com/animal-facts-marsican-brown-bear.html |url-status=usurped |access-date=2017-11-07 |website=Second opinion doctor}}{{Dead link|date=April 2023|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

In their dens they relax and slow down, requiring less food and adjust to the colder temperatures. Bears will isolate in their dens most of winter, but are not in full [[hibernation]], unlike most animals. Bears keep a reasonable level of [[consciousness]] and awareness to their external changes throughout the winter, and might even take a stroll on a sunny day. This period of time is where all of the fat build-up throughout the year becomes critical, as they need enough fat to burn to stay alive. They do not fully sustain themselves during this period, and use the extra fat burning off for energy reserve as well as a [[Heat|thermal]] resource.<ref name="Indy">{{cite news |first=Carlo |last=Meloro |title=Italy has its own subspecies of bear – but there are only 50 left |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/italy-has-its-own-subspecies-of-bear-but-there-are-only-50-left-a7808156.html |work=The Independent |date=28 June 2017 }}</ref>

Overall, these bears are very good at living as an individual, and do not face many other threats in their environment except for poachers. Being omnivores, these bears can adapt themselves to diverse habitats, and thrive as long as they are not disturbed often, and have a developed source of food nearby.<ref name=":2" />

== Range ==
[[File:National Park of Abruzzo, Latium and Molise 02196.jpg|thumb|The National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio, and Molise with a wide range of environments like rivers, forests, and mountains]]

The Marsican brown bear has a small, isolated population.<ref name="fondationsegre.org">{{Cite web |url=http://www.fondationsegre.org/urgent-measures-for-the-conservation-of-the-critically-endangered-marsican-brown-bear-in-central-apennines/ |title=Protection of the critically endangered Marsican Brown Bear in Central Apennines |website=Fondation Segré }}</ref> It is found is the central [[Apennine Mountains]] in [[Italy]] where there are a range of settings like lakes, woods, and settlements of citizens.<ref name="Indy"/> They are usually found in the [[Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise]].<ref name=Squires2011>{{cite news |last1=Squires |first1=Nick |title=Marsican bear vanishing with Italian wilderness |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10706481 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=15 February 2011 }}</ref> This park consists of valleys and a section of the Apennine Mountains in Italy. This enclosed, though lush, area is a likely factor for why the endangered subspecies is not leaving. This part of the country consists of mainly beechwood, which the bear is particularly fond of, though grasslands and meadows can be found at higher altitudes as well. This bear may also be found in these nearby locations: [[Monti Sibillini National Park|Sibillini National Park]], [[Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park|Gran Sasso-Laga National Park]], [[Sirente-Velino Regional Park]], and [[Simbruini Regional Park]].

The population range of the Marsican brown bear has been significantly reduced over the past hundreds of years. Since they emerged in an isolated area, it does have a smaller population compared to other brown bears, but it has been on the brink of extinction for decades now.<ref name="TreeHugger">{{Cite news|url=https://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/italys-rare-bear-in-losing-battle-against-extinction.html|title=Italy's Rare Bear in Losing Battle Against Extinction|work=TreeHugger|access-date=2017-11-10}}</ref> In the 1980s, there were about 100 of them,<ref name="TreeHugger"/> but currently there is an estimate of about 43 bears on average still living in this area.<ref name=jstor3873224>{{cite journal |last1=Zedrosser |first1=Andreas |last2=Dahle |first2=Bjørn |last3=Swenson |first3=Jon E. |last4=Gerstl |first4=Norbert |title=Status and Management of the Brown Bear in Europe |journal=Ursus |date=2001 |volume=12 |pages=9–20 |jstor=3873224 }}</ref> Only about 10–12 of the Marsican brown bears living in this area are females that are able to reproduce.<ref name=Squires2011/> In Italy, their state of critical endangerment has been stressed greatly by government officials, for their extinction is still a possibility. According to Giuseppe Rossi, "the number of bears have fallen below the threshold of survival."<ref name="Christian Science Monitor">{{cite news |title=Italy's largest animal is on the brink of extinction |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2011/0503/Italy-s-largest-animal-is-on-the-brink-of-extinction |work=Christian Science Monitor |date=3 May 2011 }}</ref>

The Marsican brown bear is completely isolated from its nearest neighbours, a population of Eurasian brown bears in the Italian Alps. It could expand its range though, as there is suitable habitat throughout the Apennines.<ref name="Indy"/>

== Conservation ==
The Marsican brown bear, as a subspecies of the [[brown bear]], has been included on the International Union for Conservation of Nature ([[International Union for Conservation of Nature|IUCN]]) Red List and Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.<ref name="Francesco, C. 2015">{{cite journal |last1=Di Francesco |first1=Cristina Esmeralda |last2=Gentile |first2=Leonardo |last3=Di Pirro |first3=Vincenza |last4=Ladiana |first4=Lara |last5=Tagliabue |first5=Silvia |last6=Marsilio |first6=Fulvio |title=Serologic Evidence for Selected Infectious Diseases in Marsican Brown Bears (''Ursus arctos marsicanus'') in Italy (2004–09) |journal=Journal of Wildlife Diseases |date=January 2015 |volume=51 |issue=1 |pages=209–213 |doi=10.7589/2014-01-021 |pmid=25375945 |s2cid=207539450 |doi-access=free }}</ref> People have started to acknowledge and support the need for conservation of these bears. Ecotourism has improved the urgency for conservation of these areas.<ref name="Christian Science Monitor"/>

Italy officially protected the Marsican brown bear in 1923 by founding the [[Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise]].<ref name="fondationsegre.org"/> which has had a major impact in conserving the bears. They ensure that habitats will stay intact or preserve more, supplying more food to the bears, and implement policies that will reduce bear-human conflicts.<ref name="Ciucci, P. 2008">{{cite journal |last1=Ciucci |first1=Paolo |last2=Boitani |first2=Luigi |title=The Apennine Brown Bear: A Critical Review of Its Status and Conservation Problems |journal=Ursus |date=November 2008 |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=130–145 |doi=10.2192/07PER012.1 |s2cid=55877575 }}</ref> Another effort made by Italians is the {{lang|it|Piano d'Azione Nazionale per la Tutela dell'Orso Bruno Marsicano|italic=no}} (PATOM), which was formed to help protect the bears.<ref name="fondationsegre.org"/>

During 2001, the Italian Ministry of the Environment for Protection of the Territory and the Sea created the action plan for the Conservation of the Marsican brown bear. It made the collection of basic health data of the Marsican brown bear a very important priority. It studied common diseases around the area. It has a specific attention to infectious diseases that could affect the bears and local wildlife.<ref name="Francesco, C. 2015"/>

Up until 2014, [[Italy]] and the [[European Union]] teamed up to conserve the bears in the Apennine Mountains. It was called the Life Arctos Project. It was partially funded by the European Union at a cost of $7.3 million. They planted trees closer to the hills, away from civilians to prevent bear-human interactions. They put up electric fences around farms and [[vegetable gardens]] to push the Marsican brown bears away from humans.<ref name="Christian Science Monitor"/> Pushing them higher in the mountains helps prevent human-bear interaction and resupply the food supply that is slowly being lost.

Hunting has been a problem in conserving the bears, whether it was legal or illegal.<ref name="Febbo, D. 1990">{{cite journal | last1 = Febbo | first1 = D. | last2 = Pellegrini | first2 = M. | year = 1990 | title = The Historical Presence of the Brown Bear in the Apennines |url=http://www.storiadellafauna.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Febbo-Pellegrini-The-Historical-presence-of-the-brown-bear-in-the-Apennines.pdf| journal = Series Zoologica Aqulio | volume = 27 | pages = 85–88 }}</ref> However, poaching has decreased in numbers, so the population may be increasing.<ref name=jstor3873224/> One measure in their conservation is controlling how the land will be used in the future.<ref name="Febbo, D. 1990"/> There are discussions about whether diseases from the cattle will spread and kill off the Marsican brown bears.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Allen |first1=Daniel |last2=Blythe |first2=Cain |year=2015 |title=Bear Necessities |journal=Geographical |volume=87 |issue=12 |pages=38–43 }}</ref> In addition, it is suggested that there be more plans to preserve their habitats and food.<ref name="Ciucci, P. 2008"/>

According to the IUCN the brown bear as a whole is classified as "Least Concern", however there are subspecies that are classified as "Critically Endangered".<ref name="Indy"/>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite journal |last1=Gervasi |first1=V. |last2=Ciucci |first2=P. |title=Demographic projections of the Apennine brown bear population ''Ursus arctos marsicanus'' (Mammalia: Ursidae) under alternative management scenarios |journal=The European Zoological Journal |date=11 June 2018 |volume=85 |issue=1 |pages=242–252 |doi=10.1080/24750263.2018.1478003 |s2cid=90766775 |doi-access=free |hdl=11573/1114254 |hdl-access=free }}
*{{cite journal |last1=Ciucci |first1=Paolo |last2=Altea |first2=Tiziana |last3=Antonucci |first3=Antonio |last4=Chiaverini |first4=Luca |last5=Croce |first5=Antonio Di |last6=Fabrizio |first6=Mauro |last7=Forconi |first7=Paolo |last8=Latini |first8=Roberta |last9=Maiorano |first9=Luigi |last10=Monaco |first10=Antonio |last11=Morini |first11=Paola |last12=Ricci |first12=Filomena |last13=Sammarone |first13=Luciano |last14=Striglioni |first14=Federico |last15=Tosoni |first15=Elisabetta |last16=Lazio |first16=Bear Monitoring Network Regione |title=Distribution of the brown bear (''Ursus arctos marsicanus'') in the Central Apennines, Italy, 2005-2014 |journal=Hystrix |date=22 May 2017 |volume=28 |issue=1 |pages=86–91 |doi=10.4404/hystrix-28.1-12049 }}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q2360936}}
{{Arctos}}

[[Category:Eurasian brown bears]]
[[Category:Carnivorans of Europe]]
[[Category:Mammals of Europe]]
[[Category:Fauna of Italy]]
[[Category:Apennine Mountains]]
[[Category:Endangered animals]]
[[Category:Endangered biota of Europe]]