In modern times, 8 different species of bear are alive. Compared to that number, bears used to be much more widespread, with researchers discovering over 100 species that used to walk the earth at one point.

Various factors have led to the extinction of multiple bears in places like Ireland, Scotland, and England. Some bears competed with humans for resources like food and territory — a competition that typically worked out in humans’ favor as the bears were often hunted down. Others, mostly prehistoric species like the Cave Bear and the Etruscan Bear, couldn’t keep up with the changing world around them.

Bears That Went Extinct

Name	Characteristics	Where Did It Live	When Did It Become Extinct	Reason for Extinction
Atlas Bear (Ursus arctos crowtheri)	1. Sub-species of the Brown Bear 2. Smaller than most grizzlies 3. Probably had dark-brown fur	Atlas Mountains, in North Africa. In fact, it is the only modern bear whose origins have been traced to Africa	In the late 19th century, with the last one seen in 1870	Over-hunting, especially after the invention of firearms, and over-zealous collectors
California Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis)	1. Sub-species of the Grizzly Bear  2. Huge, weighing over 1000 lbs	California, United States	Around 1924	Over-hunting combined with habitat loss
Cave Bear (Ursus spelaeus)	1. Teeth indicate herbivorous behavior 2. Cave-dweller	Eurasia	About 24,000 years ago, during the Last Ice Age	Several factors, including a specialized diet and competition with humans
Mexican Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos nelsoni)	1. Sub-species of the Grizzly Bear 2. Smaller compared to other grizzlies 3. Probably had reddish-brown fur	Mexico	Around 1976	Hunting by humans who saw them as pests
Florida Spectacled Bear (Tremarctos floridanus)	1. Teeth indicate herbivorous behavior 2. Facial pattern similar to other spectacled bears	North America	Around 8000 to 10,000 years ago, during the Last Ice Age	Unable to adapt to a change in diet during the last ice age
Auvergne Bear (Ursus minimus)	1. Ancestor to the Etruscan Bear 2. Teeth indicate omnivorous behavior	Europe	Late Pleistocene (about 1.8 million years ago)	Unclear
Etruscan Bear (Ursus etruscus)	1. Ancestor of the Brown Bear  2. Teeth indicate omnivorous behavior 3. Slender build compared to most bears	Eurasia	Late Pleistocene (100,000 years ago)	Unable to adapt to climate change after the last ice age
Lesser Short-faced Bear (Arctodus pristinus)	1. Long face 2. Teeth indicate omnivorous behavior 3. Short limbs compared to the rest of its bodies	North America	Around 12,500 years ago	Climate change and competition with other bears
Giant Short-faced Bear (Arctodus simus)	1. Apparently fastest ever bear, capable of running at up to 40 mph 2. One of the largest bears to ever live	North America	Around 12,500 years ago	Loss of its specialized diet
Deninger’s Bear (Ursus deningeri)	1. Ancestor of the Cave Bear  2. Large canines indicate carnivorous behavior	Eurasia	Late Pleistocene (0.1 million years ago)	Unable to adapt to a change in diet
Gran Dolina Bear (Ursus dolinensis)	1. Large canines indicate carnivorous behavior  2. Smaller compared to other cave-dwelling bears	Spain	Early Pleistocene (about 780,000 years ago)	Unclear
Gamssulzen Cave Bear (Ursus ingressus)	1. Large in size 2. Teeth structure indicates either herbivorous or omnivorous behavior	Europe	About 30,000 years ago	Climate change or overhunting by humans
Pleistocene Small Cave Bear (Ursus rossicus)	1. Large in size 2. Dentition indicates herbivorous behavior	Northern Eurasia and Siberia	Late Pleistocene (100,000 years ago)	Several potential reasons, including competition for resources, hunting by humans, and climate change
Agriarctos gaali	1. Prehistoric panda species 2. Small in size 3. Unique cranial structure	Hungary	Late Miocene (about 8 million years ago)	Climate change
Agriarctos nikolovi	1. Prehistoric panda species 2. Most likely a ‘transitional species’ as indicated by its skull structure	Bulgaria	Late Miocene (about 6 million years ago)	Climate change
Agriotherium sivalensis	1. Omnivorous, though large canines indicate a higher preference for meat 2. Has a pronounced snout	Eurasia and Africa	Early Gelasian (about 2.5 million years ago)	Competition with other carnivores
Ailurarctos lufengensis	1. Prehistoric panda species 2. Teeth indicate a bamboo-based diet	China	Late Miocene (about 8 million years ago)	Climate change, specifically caused by the Messinian salinity crisis
Arctotherium angustidens	1. One of the largest bears to ever live, reaching 11 feet in length and weighing over 4000 lbs 2. Size and teeth indicate it was a predator or scavenger	South America	Late Miocene (about 8 million years ago)	Loss of their natural prey
Aurorarctos tirawa	1. Small in size 2. Most likely omnivorous, though its dental structure indicates a preference for plants	North America	Middle Miocene (about 12.5 million years ago)	Overhunting by humans
Ballusia elmensis	1. Small in size 2. Appeared to be a cross between a wolverine and a domestic cat	Eurasia	Early Miocene (about 18 million years ago)	Unable to effectively hunt faster prey
Cephalogale geoffroyi	1. Belongs to the group called ‘dog bears’ 2. Teeth structure indicates carnivorous behavior	Eurasia	Early Miocene (about 20 million years ago)	Climate and environmental changes
Indarctos punjabiensis	1. Probably omnivorous 2. Most likely a ‘transitional species’ 3. Last of its genus to go extinct	Eurasia	Late Miocene (about 5.3 million years ago)	Inability to compete with other omnivores
Kretzoiarctos beatrix	1. Ancestor to the Giant Panda 2. Teeth structure indicates omnivorous behavior	Western Europe	Middle Miocene (about 11.6 million years ago)	Most likely due to climate change caused by the Messinian salinity crisis
Miomaci pannonicum	1. Small and slender in size  2. Closely related to the various Indarctos species	Hungary	Middle Miocene (about 11.6 million years ago)	Unclear
Ailuropoda microta	1. Earliest known ancestor of the Giant Panda 2. Teeth structure indicates a bamboo-based diet	China	Late Pleistocene (about 2 million years ago)	Habitat loss
Protarctos boeckhi	1. Teeth indicate herbivorous behavior 2. Cavities in teeth indicate a fondness for sugar	Eurasia and America	Early Pleistocene (about 0.7 million years ago)	Unclear