[4] The hair on the withers is longer, with a grey-brown base, and is often a different shade from the rest of the body, seen in some individuals as a dark stripe running across the back.

Populations in the Caucasus were thought to belong to Ursus arctus syriacus, and to overlap parts of the Eurasian brown bear's range.

After breeding, the highly protective mother bear gives birth in a den; litter sizes range from one to three cubs.

[6][7] Today, the brown bear is considered extremely rare (possibly absent) in its namesake Syria, and has been extirpated from Israel, Jordan, Palestine, and the Sinai Peninsula.

[11] In Iran, it is present in the Central Alborz Protected Area (south of the Caspian Sea), and in the Zagros Mountains.

[12] In Turkey, the bear is threatened by large-scale forest fragmentation, habitat degradation, and persecution in areas where it damages beehives and livestock.

Wojtek ate, slept, and spent time with the soldiers, preferring their company at night even after being provided his own sleeping quarters.

According to stories, Wojtek detected an Arab spy at one point and carried artillery shells during the Battle of Monte Cassino.