Brown bear populations in Iran persist in mountainous and forested regions such as the Alborz and Zagros ranges, where they remain rare but ecologically significant.
Environmentalists and rangers from Iran’s Department of Environment documented the sighting in the high-altitude alpine habitat.
The presence of cubs indicates the area remains a viable breeding ground for the Syrian brown bear.
The Sabalan region, a volcanic mountain area known for rugged terrain and biodiversity, provides refuge for brown bears as lower habitats face pressure from fragmentation, poaching, vehicle collisions and human-wildlife conflict.
Iran’s “Extinct” Brown Bears Just Showed Up in the Sablan Mountains, With Babies pic.twitter.com/1dyLFMqaBW
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) May 11, 2026The Syrian brown bear, listed as endangered within Iran, survives mainly across the Alborz, Zagros and northwestern mountain ranges.
Conservationists said recent sightings in Sabalan and northern areas such as Mazandaran show that core habitats continue to support breeding populations.
The report comes as Iran’s Department of Environment and local activists expand wildlife monitoring in mountain corridors where climate change may push bears toward cooler, higher-altitude areas.
