spirit bear
White black bear
A spirit bear is a white or cream-colored black bear, a rare genetic variant found almost exclusively in the coastal rainforests of British Columbia.
The coloring results from a recessive gene, not albinism—spirit bears have dark eyes and nose.
The name comes from Indigenous traditions of the Gitga'at and other First Nations peoples, who consider the bears sacred.
Also called Kermode bear after the naturalist who first described them.
Masked unless paired identically
- melaninNatural coloring compound
- pigmentationNatural tissue coloring
- mutationPermanent DNA alteration
- geneHereditary information unit
inheritance · phenotype · chromosome · DNA · heredity · white fur · trait · allele
Canada's western coastal province
- rainforestWet tropical woodland ecosystem
- omnivoreEats plants and animals
- mammalWarm-blooded, milk-producing animal
- hibernationProlonged winter dormancy
denning · claws · fur · coastal · carnivore · foraging · cubs · wildlife
Spiritual clan symbol
- emblemRepresentational sign or device
- iconPictorial screen symbol
- mystiqueAura of fascination
- rarityUncommon occurrence
wonder · photogenic · wildlife photography · documentary · unique · majestic · elusive · legendary
At risk of extinction
- protectedKept from harm
- ecotourismConservation-minded nature tourism
- habitatOrganism's natural environment
- biodiversityRange of life forms
sanctuary · preservation · wildlife corridor · logging · advocacy · research · population · monitoring
Canada's non-Inuit indigenous peoples
- reverenceProfound admiring respect
- tabooCultural or social prohibition
- ceremonialRelating to formal rites
- protectedKept from harm
ancestral · oral tradition · cosmology · blessing · guardian · mythology · creation story · supernatural
recessive
Masked unless paired identically
- melaninNatural coloring compound
- pigmentationNatural tissue coloring
- mutationPermanent DNA alteration
gene · inheritance · phenotype · chromosome · DNA · heredity · white fur · trait · allele · expression
British Columbia
Canada's western coastal province
- rainforestWet tropical woodland ecosystem
- omnivoreEats plants and animals
- mammalWarm-blooded, milk-producing animal
hibernation · denning · claws · fur · coastal · carnivore · foraging · cubs · wildlife · endemic
totem
Spiritual clan symbol
rarity · wonder · photogenic · wildlife photography · documentary · unique · majestic · elusive · legendary
endangered
At risk of extinction
- protectedKept from harm
- ecotourismConservation-minded nature tourism
- habitatOrganism's natural environment
biodiversity · sanctuary · preservation · wildlife corridor · logging · advocacy · research · population · monitoring · environmental
First Nations
Canada's non-Inuit indigenous peoples
- reverenceProfound admiring respect
- tabooCultural or social prohibition
- ceremonialRelating to formal rites
protected · ancestral · oral tradition · cosmology · blessing · guardian · mythology · creation story · supernatural · teachings
- Bearspolar, giant panda, grizzly, cub, cubs
- Indigenous CanadaFirst Nations, Metis, Inuit, Cree, Ojibwe
- Northwest Folkloresasquatch, thunderbird, raven, totem pole, trickster
- Pacific NorthwestAlaska, Seattle, Oregon, Vancouver, Washington
- animal anomaliestwo-headed snake, conjoined twins, extra limbs, chimera, heterochromia
- Arctic symbolsinukshuk, igloo, northern lights, narwhal, aurora
spirit, bear, spirits, spirited, spiritual, spiritually, spirituality, dispirit, dispirited