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Spirit bear

Spirit bear coming down to the river to fish for salmon, Princess Royal Island, BC. The spirit bear is also call Kermode bear and is a genetic variation of the black bear. Twenty-five percent of bears on Princess Royal Island and a small surrounding area carry the gene. The white bears are sacred to the local Indian tribal peoples.

Today's post is a spirit bear seen in the context of the environment that it lives in.

  • Spirit bear
  • Spirit bear on kelp bed, marked with salmon blood from a recent feed, Princess Royal Island, BC<br /> <br /> We didn't see any spirit bears on our recent trip, so these are photos from my archives. These rare bears are much easier to see in the fall when they congregate on the salmon rivers to gorge before their winter hibernation.<br /> <br /> The Kermode Bear (Ursus americanus kermodei) is called the spirit bear by the native tribes of the area, who have long revered and protected the bear and its habitat. It is a rare subspecies of the black bear that lives on Princess Royal Island and a small adjacent area, with a population of around 400 animals. It is not an albino bear, nor is it related to the polar bear. It has a cream-coloured coat due to a recessive allele that is present in around 10% of black bears in the area, so it is not unusual to see a black bear with one brown and one white cub, or even two white cubs. <br /> Because of their spirit-like appearance, spirit bears hold a prominent place in the oral stories of the Canadian First Nations, where they are called mooksgm'ol. Interestingly, white bears are around 30% more effective at catching salmon than black bears as their light colour makes them less visible to the fish. The bear's habitat is another one that is potentially under threat from the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines, whose planned route passes near the Great Bear Rainforest. The Gitga’at, Tsimshian and other native groups are opposing the pipeline.
  • Spirit bear catching salmon
  • Spirit bear hunting for salmon in a stream, Princess Royal Island, BC
  • Spirit bear on kelp bed, marked with salmon blood from a recent feed, Princess Royal Island, BC<br /> <br /> We didn't see any spirit bears on our recent trip, so these are photos from my archives. These rare bears are much easier to see in the fall when they congregate on the salmon rivers to gorge before their winter hibernation.<br /> <br /> The Kermode Bear (Ursus americanus kermodei) is called the spirit bear by the native tribes of the area, who have long revered and protected the bear and its habitat. It is a rare subspecies of the black bear that lives on Princess Royal Island and a small adjacent area, with a population of around 400 animals. It is not an albino bear, nor is it related to the polar bear. It has a cream-coloured coat due to a recessive allele that is present in around 10% of black bears in the area, so it is not unusual to see a black bear with one brown and one white cub, or even two white cubs. <br /> Because of their spirit-like appearance, spirit bears hold a prominent place in the oral stories of the Canadian First Nations, where they are called mooksgm'ol. Interestingly, white bears are around 30% more effective at catching salmon than black bears as their light colour makes them less visible to the fish. The bear's habitat is another one that is potentially under threat from the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines, whose planned route passes near the Great Bear Rainforest. The Gitga’at, Tsimshian and other native groups are opposing the pipeline.<br /> <br /> See other photos here: <a href="http://goo.gl/FzHgQ">http://goo.gl/FzHgQ</a>
  • Spirit bear hunting for salmon, Princess Royal Island, BC
  • Sprit bear scanning the water for s salmon to catch, Princess Royal Island, BC
  • Spirit bear coming down to the river to fish for salmon, Princess Royal Island, BC<br /> <br /> Today's post is a spirit bear seen in the context of the environment that it lives in.<br /> <br /> A couple of closer views of the spirit bears in the river hunting for salmon can be seen here: <a href="http://goo.gl/oEKlM">http://goo.gl/oEKlM</a><br /> <br /> I have an early morning flight home tomorrow, and probably won't get a chance to post or comment.

  • Greg&Rose Photography

    on February 28, 2018

    Very good capture

  • Rick Willis

    on July 30, 2016

    Nice Shot...

  • jimholmquist

    on July 30, 2016

    Superb shot and a beautiful bear!

  • Lgood

    on July 29, 2016

    I'm so glad this showed up today because I think it is magnificent!!!

  • Judith Sparhawk

    on July 29, 2016

    I love seeing the bear in its surroundings--wonderful image.

  • fotoeffects

    on November 17, 2015

    Incredibly beautiful image!

  • Henrik Nilsson

    on July 3, 2015

    Terry, this is fantastic.

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