Spirit bears or Kermode bears are found off the coast of British Columbia in Princess Royal and Prince Rupert Islands, parts of Canada, and Southeast Alaska. What is a spirit bear's habitat?
Where do spirit bears live?
Spirit bears are found only in the Great Bear Rainforest, a 6.4 million ha ecosystem on British Columbia’s north and central coast. It is the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest.
What kind of animal is a spirit bear?
Spirit bears aka Kermode bears ( Ursus americanus kermodei) are a subspecies of the North American black bear with a rare recessive gene that makes their fur white or cream. Is a spirit bear just an albino bear? No, spirit bears are not albino.
Are there polar bears in Alaska?
Yes, there are polar bears in Alaska the polar bear population in Alaska is known to be around 4700 bears. Polar bears can be found along Alaska’s Arctic Ocean coastline. Alaska’s polar bears are between two main populations. One found off Alaska’s Western Arctic coastline the other is found around Alaska’s north slope.
How many spirit bears are there in the world?
No one agrees on the exact number of spirit bears living in this corner of the world, but the best estimate is that the spirit bear population numbers no more than 400 individuals. Spirit bear walking across a log.
Can spirit bears be found in Alaska?
The genetic combination is so rare that these spirit bears have been seen on only a few islands in the world, all of which are located around the Great Bear Rainforest between Seattle and Juneau.
What states do spirit bears live in?
Spirit bears are rare white-coated black bears (Ursus americanus kermodei) that live in the coastal temperate rainforests of Northwest British Columbia.
Where does the spirit bear live today?
British Columbia, CanadaThe Kermode bear, sometimes called the spirit bear (Ursus americanus kermodei), is a subspecies of the American black bear and lives in the Central and North Coast regions of British Columbia, Canada.
What island do spirit bears live?
Most Spirit Bears live on Princess Royal and Gribbell Islands along the rainforest coast of British Columbia. They are considered a subspecies of black bears called Kermode bears (Ursus americanus kermodeii).
Can you hunt Kermode bear?
It is a myth that legal hunting in our province threatens the continued existence of the white Kermode bear. It is illegal to hunt blue and white black bears, and the black bear harvest is limited to a small percentage of the population.
How do you find the spirit bear?
Best Season for Viewing Spirit Bears Spirit bears live in the Great Bear Rainforest year-round. The best time for the opportunity to view a spirit bear is after the rains have come in autumn. This means you should plan to come in September or October.
What does it mean when you see a spirit bear?
The bear spirit animal is the energy of courage that replenishes you with power. This animal will take you through any challenging situation with your head up, and it will remain to lick your wounds and make you whole again. The bear spirit animal personality makes you fearless.
Why is it called a spirit bear?
SPIRIT BEAR FACTS. Named after Frank Kermode, former director of the Royal B.C. Museum, Victoria. The Kermode or Spirit Bear is a black bear that has white fur due to a rare genetic trait. The bear is not albino, as it typically has a brown nose and eyes.
Why are white bears called Spirit Bears?
Spirit bears are white-coated black bears that inherit their pale fur from a rare recessive gene. Known as moksgm'ol, meaning “white bear”, spirit bears are sacred to the Indigenous people who live in the Great Bear Rainforest, a 6.4m-hectare swath of land in central and northern British Columbia.
Can a grizzly bear breed with a black bear?
An ursid hybrid is an animal with parents from two different species or subspecies of the bear family (Ursidae). Species and subspecies of bear known to have produced offspring with another bear species or subspecies include black bears, grizzly bears and polar bears, all of which are members of the genus Ursus.
Are there white grizzly bears?
The species is extremely rare, according to wildlife experts. Locals of Banff have even named the bear “Nakoda the White Grizzly.” Nakoda means “friend” or "Ally" in the native language of the Stoney Nakoda, the Indigenous people of Banff.
How did scientists collect hair from Spirit Bears?
Some scientists visit them in dens to take samples. But bears are very important in Kitasoo/Xai'xais culture, and Service and Neasloss wanted to make sure that their research didn't disturb the bears. So they constructed a hair trap with a strip of cloth soaked in fish guts, peanut butter and bacon.
Where can I find spirit bears?
Spirit bears are found only in the Great Bear Rainforest, a 6.4 million ha ecosystem on British Columbia’s north and central coast. It is the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest. So if you want to see a spirit bear, you’d better go to Canada!
What is a spirit bear?
Spirit bears aka Kermode bears ( Ursus americanus kermodei) are a subspecies of the North American black bear with a rare recessive gene that makes their fur white or cream. Up close and personal with a spirit bear. © Pam’s Wild Images/Getty. 2.
Why are grizzlies chasing bears?
Because numbers of salmon are down, grizzlies travel farther to look for food and are encroaching on spirit bear territory for the first time. This might be bad news for spirit bears. Grizzlies are larger and stronger, and usually chase other bears off from prime fishing spots.
What is the lifeblood of the Great Bear Rainforest?
Pacific salmon are the lifeblood of the Great Bear Rainforest. When they return from the ocean in autumn to spawn, spirit bears emerge from the forest to feast on pink, chum and coho salmon before going into hibernation.
How do bears help the ecosystem?
The bears play a key role in the ecosystem, contributing to the growth of the forest by spreading marine nutrients. They carry salmon carcasses deep into the forest where they are absorbed by the forest floor and the nutrients from the ocean are effectively transferred to the trees.
Why are pale bears better camouflaged than dark ones?
Pale bears are better camouflaged than dark ones by day, because they contrast less with a bright sky background, so salmon don’t notice them as much. Spirit bears may stand out in the rainforest, but they’re actually harder for salmon to sea through the water against the sky. © Natalie Fobes/Getty. 9.
Is a spirit bear albino?
Is a spirit bear just an albino bear? No, spirit bears are not albino. They have pigment in their skin and eyes, which wouldn’t be the case with albinos. Spirit bears have a single mutant gene that causes their unusual colouration.
Where to see polar bears in Alaska?
During the shoulder seasons of spring and fall. Polar bear viewing in Barrow Alaska is bringing more tourism to yet another small Iñupiat Eskimo village. Barrow is a great place to see polar bears.
When do polar bears come to Kaktovik?
Polar bear sightings become more frequent in July. Although October – November it is said that Kaktovik is crawling with polar bears. Kaktovik is a small Iñupiat Eskimo village on Alaska’s north slope and is part of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Can you see polar bears in the wild?
If you want to view polar bears in the wild I would highly recommend getting a guided tour. There is nothing stopping you from going the do-it-yourself route. But keep in mind that polar bears are endangered and dangerous. They have been known to actively stalk humans.
Can you go polar bear watching in Alaska?
Going polar bear viewing in these remote parts of Alaska flights can get canceled. In the event of flight delays, food and lodging will be an extra expense. That is something you may need to think about so make sure you get good travel insurance.
Is the Alaska Polar Bear tour a day trip?
The Expeditions Alaska polar bear photo tour is not a day trip. It is a full 6-day photo safari so if your heading to Alaska. With the goal of spending time in this amazing part of the planet. Photographing one of the planet’s most awesome giant creatures the polar bear.
Where do spirit bears live?
Most Spirit Bears live on Princess Royal and Gribbell Islands along the rainforest coast of British Columbia . They are considered a subspecies of black bears called Kermode bears (Ursus americanus kermodeii). About 20 percent of the bears on those islands are white; the rest are black.
What is the only white bear in Minnesota?
Named Halo, he caused such a media stir that the Minnesota legislature gave protection to all white bears in the state, but Halo remains the only white bear ever reported in Minnesota. However, the next sighting of a white black bear was only 200 miles northwest of Orr.
How Is the Fur White?
A spirit bear’s parents can have either white or black fur, so long as they each have the recessive allele present within their genes. This means that a black-furred mother bear may have a white cub, or a white-furred mother bear may have a black cub.
How Spirit Bears Live
Weighing only half a pound at birth, these cubs can grow to become 300 lb adult bears and will live up to 25 years. They occupy a habitat of coastal sitka spruce, red cedar, and western hemlock, and rely heavily on healthy salmon streams. They typically avoid large estuaries where there may be the threat of grizzlies, who are larger and dominant.
Why Are There White Black Bears in the Great Bear Rainforest?
Recent studies by Dr. Tom Reimchen at the University of Victoria suggest that such a high concentration of spirit bears evolved here because they have an advantage fishing for salmon during the day. This is because fish in a stream tend to look up in the direction of the sky for danger (eagles, bears, wolves, ravens, etc.).
Our Spirit Bear Viewing Tours
Maple Leaf Adventures has been conducting expeditions in the Great Bear Rainforest since the beginning of the 1990s. Our experience and knowledge of the region helps us to find these elusive bears for our guests to see and learn about, in an environmentally responsible manner. The welfare of the bears is our primary directive.
Best Season for Viewing Spirit Bears
Spirit bears live in the Great Bear Rainforest year-round. The best time for the opportunity to view a spirit bear is after the rains have come in autumn. This means you should plan to come in September or October. It’s important to note that this is a rare bear that lives in an extremely rugged, mountainous environment.
