A Spirit Bear primer via Youtube

ByTim Irvin

If you ask somebody in British Columbia what a Spirit Bear is, many people will know that it is a rare genetic variant of a black bear that has white fur. They may know this, in part, because the Spirit Bear is the Official Mammal of the province.

Ask the same question of people outside of British Columbia and many people have no idea what you’re talking about. Since moving to Ontario, I have noticed a lot of blank faces when I mention Spirit Bears in conversation. “Huh?” said an acquaintance,  “there are polar bears in BC?”

Based on feedback I received after posting a photo of a spirit bear on my blog, I realized that outside of the bear loving conservation community and BC, most people do not know they exist. It is not their fault. There are thought to be less than 400 Spirit Bears in existence.  By comparison, a 2004 estimate by the World Wildlife Fund put the number of wild pandas – the very icon of endangerment – at approximately 1600.

So, for those of you who don’t know what a Spirit Bear is, or think that polar bears live in British Columbia,  take a look at this primer on Spirit Bears from the good people at the Nature Conservancy.

 

[widgets_on_pages id=”Tim’s Ad”]

Similar Posts

One week left in spirit bear tour giveaway

One week left in spirit bear tour giveaway

Spirit Bear Tours

We are giving away a 5-Day spirit bear tour at half the normal price – and there is only one week left to enter for a chance to win.

Wolves in the mist

Wolves in the mist

Coastal Wolves, Great Bear Rainforest

We woke to heavy fog on this morning. Sitting in camp drinking coffee we felt like our chances of finding a wolf were just about nil. Then we heard howling in the distance.

Fortress of the Grizzly

Fortress of the Grizzly

Great Bear Rainforest, Wildlife Tours

20 years ago, I cut my teeth as a Great Bear Rainforest bear guide running grizzly bear tours in coastal estuaries. Spring on the British Columbia coast is glorious. There is nothing like the sweet fragrance and vibrant greens of spring, mingled with birdsong, snow-capped mountains, and the sight of grizzly bears amidst all.

Spoil this?: Enbridge, oil and the Great Bear Rainforest.

Spoil this?: Enbridge, oil and the Great Bear Rainforest.

Conservation, Photography

Since the Queen of the North sank on the central coast of BC in March of 2006 people have been nervous. The ship’s massive hulk is now 1500 feet underwater, still leaking diesel into coastal waters. With that tragedy fresh in people’s mind, the looming threat of Enbridge’s Northern Gateway Pipeline Project has people on edge…

BC’s coastal wolves: elusive and worthy of protection

BC’s coastal wolves: elusive and worthy of protection

Great Bear Rainforest

I worked as a guide in the Great Bear Rainforest for 14 years before I managed to get a decent photo of a coastal wolf.

Wildlife photography is full of failures (and that’s okay)

Wildlife photography is full of failures (and that’s okay)

Great Bear Rainforest

This is a photo of an American black bear checking out a remotely triggered camera in the Great Bear Rainforest. Thanks to Paul Nicklen for technical assistance with this one (i.e. teaching this buffoon the basics of how to use and maintain an underwater housing). There were many, many failures while trying to get this one shot. So many failures. Oh, so many failures…