Day 99 -> Spirit Bears

A Spirit Bear (Photo by National Geographic)

      Also known as Kermode Bears (Ursus americanus kermodei), this species is considered special for its white coat. However, they're not albino bears, since their noses and paws are brown or black. Scientists are believe it is a recessive gene that causes the white color, since most of the animals present black fur in their entire body. DNA analysis are being conducted on bear's hairs so that they can also determine how common it is elsewhere on the Northertn continent. To determine whether the Spirit bear is a race or simply the product of a concentration of a gene in a given area is another aim of the researchers. They have been analyzing fur samples from “rubbing” trees used by the bears, and have set out snares across trails to capture hairs to examine for genetic information. These Canadian bears are found most frequently on Princess Royal Island, situated between the coastal mainland and the Queen Charlotte Islands.
     In a more mythical approach, we can consider the one lore of the Kitasoo Xaixais people, who have lived with these bears for thousands of years. They have a myth about the white bears that says:
   “Raven made one in every ten black bears white to remind the people of a time when glaciers covered this land and how the people should be thankful of the lush and bountiful land of today.” 
    Many of the Kitasoo Xaixais believe these species hold super-natural powers, hence the name Spirit Bear. It is said that the indians protected the Ghost Bears (another cool name they have!) from hunters, by not revealing where they lived.

~Ally