Posted by Ranger Bear (165.83.4.130) on April 12, 2002 at 16:57:20:
In Reply to: spirit bears posted by tortuga on April 12, 2002 at 09:28:24:
: How are the bears in Yellowstone related to the White Spirit Bears in Canada?
: Why are they white? And do they act differently or eat differently than the Yellowstone bears?
Hello Tortuga,
Thanks for the question. The white-phase of the black bear (AKA the Spirit Bear) is found predominately on the coast of British Columbia. This color is a genetic anomaly found in this sub-population of black bears. They are similar to Yellowstone's black bears but a portion of their population is white. Their diet is specific to their habitat and so there would be some similarities with the Yellowstone habitat.