Black bear carrying a salmon carcass in its mouth, Riordan Creek, Gribbell Island, British Columbia

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The Kermode bear (Ursus americanus kermodei) is the largest of the black bear subspecies. It occurs in two phases, a white phase (the famous spirit bear) and a black phase seen here. The colour phases are governed by a recessive gene and up to 25% of a the populations can be white on Gribbell Island and Princess Royal Island, which are the main locations of this rare bear. The black phase is distinguished by their large size and the lighter brown nose. The bears bulk up for hibernation by catching and scavenging large numbers of spawning salmon from the creeks in northern British Columbia.

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Size: 5000px × 3333px
Location: Riordan Creek, Gribbell Island, British Columbia
Photo credit: © Terry Allen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

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