CONTRARY to appearances, this is a black bear. It is a member of a rare subspecies of the American black bear, called the Kermode bear, which is found only on the coastal islands of British Columbia in western Canada.
Around 15 per cent of this subspecies have white fur. Also known as 鈥渟pirit bears鈥�, these animals are revered by First Nations peoples in the area.
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White fur is a genetic trait, caused by inheriting a recessive gene from both parents. These bears aren鈥檛 albinos 鈥� they still have pigmented eyes and noses, which are black.
This particular bear鈥檚 repast was photographed in the Great Bear Rainforest, a pristine temperate rainforest 600 kilometres to the north-west of Vancouver. This vast area is well supplied with energy-rich salmon that swim upstream from the Pacific Ocean to spawn.
Although white fur makes bears more conspicuous, it has its advantages. One study found that spirit bears are 10 per cent more successful at catching fish in the daytime than Kermode bears with black fur, perhaps because salmon can鈥檛 make them out against the bright sky overhead.
This photo is one of more than 300 included in Animal: Exploring the zoological world, which will be published by Phaidon in October.
Photographer
Paul Nicklen, National Geographic Creative
This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淪pirit of the rainforest鈥�
