Real Baloo: Wild bears have become friendlier towards humans.

A new study from the University of Ferrara in Italy has revealed that modern wild are increasingly resembling Baloo—the furry mentor of Mowgli from Kipling’s “The Jungle Book.”
Researchers focused on the Apennine brown bear (Ursus arctos marsicanus), which resides in Central Italy and has evolved in close proximity to humans.
This critically endangered subspecies separated from other European brown bears 2,000 to 3,000 years ago. Since the time of the , it has been completely isolated from human communities.
The new analysis confirmed that, facing extinction, the current population of these predators has undergone significant changes largely driven by human activity.
Scientists found that these animals have smaller body sizes and unique head and muzzle features compared to their European, North American, and Asian brown bear counterparts. Interestingly, it turns out that through the process of evolution, members of the Ursus arctos marsicanus subspecies have become friendlier towards humans, as reported by Daily Mail.
“We observed that the brown bears of the Apennines carry genetic markers associated with reduced aggression,” noted Dr. Andrea Benazzo, the lead author of the study.
According to the researchers, these genetic differences likely arose because humans eliminated the more aggressive individuals. As a result, the calmer, more peaceful bears remained and passed their genes to future generations.
In the study published in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution, scientists emphasized that only about 50 Apennine brown bears remain in the wild.

“One of the main reasons for their decline and isolation is likely deforestation, which is linked to the expansion of agricultural land and population density in Central Italy,” Dr. Benazzo stated.
This fact vividly illustrates how human encroachment into nature leads to species decline, erosion of genetic diversity, and increases the risk of animal extinction. At the same time, this encroachment inadvertently fosters better relationships between humans and bears.
“The conclusions from our study are clear. Human-wildlife interaction is often perilous for species survival, but it can also help reduce conflict between them,” remarked co-author Giorgio Bertorelle.
Last month, another team of scientists announced that climate change is causing genetic changes in North Atlantic polar bears. Researchers found a strong link between rising temperatures in southeastern Greenland and changes in the DNA of polar bears. These genetic changes may help them better adapt to the high temperatures brought on by global warming.
Alice Godden, an environmental specialist at the University of East Anglia and the lead author of that study, noted that the findings offer some hope for the survival of polar bears in new conditions. However, this does not mean that the fight against global warming should be abandoned.
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