If you look at this bear (see photo below), many people may think it is a bear… The Arctic lives in the tropical jungle because of its beautiful white fur. But you will be even more surprised when it is actually a North American black bear.

Divine Bear: A black bear with white fur.

The name of this white bear is Kermode (Scientific nomenclature: Ursus americanus kermodei), also known as The spirit bear or ghost bear , but you can only see them in British Columbia and Canada.

Many people mistakenly believe that these bears are albino, but their eyes, noses… are completely dark and have no connection with polar bears.

Kermode bears are actually a special subspecies of North American black bears due to a small genetic problem that turns the originally black fur into white or cream. Aside from their fur, they have all the characteristics of a black bear.

Characteristics of the Kermode bear

Spirit bears also go fishing in rivers and streams to store fat needed in the fall. When winter comes, spirit bears also hibernate to save energy. They are also great fish hunters (1 fish/day and continuously for 6 weeks).

A diverse diet, such as vegetables, tubers, fruits, insects, rodents, almonds or salmon, helps Kermode bears survive when the environment becomes scarce in food.

Adult Kermode bears can weigh up to 220 kg in males and 130 kg in females, not inferior to other normal black bears (57 to 250 kg in adult male North American black bears and 41 to 170 kg in adult males are children) .

Additionally, Kermode bears can usually reproduce and become healthy black bears, 20 to 25 years old if they live in the forest. However, the number of spirit bears is also very small (about 400 animals still exist in North American rainforests, according to Nat Geo Wild).

There is only one case in captivity in a park in British Columbia, Canada. Due to its white fur, the appearance of the Kermode bear is a sign of sacredness, highly respected by the indigenous people here.

People come together to protect this sacred bear, without hunting or revealing its location to hunters. The spirit bear is considered the symbolic animal of the province of British Columbia (Canada).

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