In search of the spirit bear: deep in the forest wilderness lives a very rare and special creature - studying the Kermode bear, a very rare black bear that has white fur like a polar bear

Ranger Rick, August, 1997 by Jeff Fair

Deep in this forest wilderness lives a very rare and special creature. Would we finally get to see one?

It took a long time to get to this wild place. I finally arrived in a little yellow airplane with a raven's head painted on its tail. The plane had floats in place of wheels, so it could land on water. We splashed down on a narrow bay between tall mountains. Soon we were on Princess Royal Island off the coast of Canada (see map). I'm a scientist who studies animals, and I like to explore far-off places. I've come here with some photographers and Wayne McCrory (see photo above), who studies bears.

A VERY SPECIAL SPIRIT

When people think of white bears, polar bears usually come to mind. But I came to Princess Royal Island in search of a special kind of black bear with ghostly white fur. Most people call it the spirit bear or ghost bear.

Scientists call all of the bears on this island Kermode (ker-MO-dee) bears, because a man named Francis Kermode first studied them almost 100 years ago. Most Kermode bears are black, but some are black and white, some are orange, and the ones I came to see--the spirit bears--are pure white. They live only on this island and in places nearby.

LEGEND TO REMEMBER

"Why don't they live other places?" I ask Wayne as we go deeper into the damp forest.

"I don't know," he answers, smiling. "Guess you'd better ask the Raven." Then Wayne tells us a legend from the native people who have lived here for a long, long time:

"At the beginning of time, Raven (the Creator) turned every tenth black bear here white. Then he made this island their home where they may live forever in peace.

"I've also heard that the spirit bears have magical powers. They swim deep underwater (most black bears don't). And they can lead humans to magical places."

I ask Wayne how many bears here are white. "About one out of ten," he answers.

So at least one part of the Raven's legend is true. But Wayne says he's never seen the bears swim underwater.

A GHOSTLY APPEARANCE

This isn't the first time I've come here looking for a spirit bear. A few years ago, I searched all over the island, and all I found were a few strands of white fur. The bear really was a spirit to me then. Today I feel luckier.

We walk farther along the stream, watching huge schools of fish called salmon. We know that these bears love to eat salmon, so we become even more hopeful.

Overhead, ravens call: Awwk! Awwk! Galluk! Wayne says that ravens sometimes make a lot of noise when a bear catches a salmon. The birds may be telling each other to be ready to snatch any leftovers.

When we hear the ravens, Wayne sneaks upstream. He signals for us to follow. We move close to him, then sit quietly in the tall grass.

Suddenly I see a white bear right in the middle of where I was looking. She seems to have come out of nowhere. Now she moves in silence across the stream, only once looking our way. Then she drifts into the bushes--and disappears.

WHAT A PLACE!

I think about the Raven's legend and realize that another part of it is true: The spirit bear has led us to a magical place. We are hiking through a forest of wet, dripping leaves and moss-coated logs. Everything is totally green.

This is a true rainforest, even though it isn't hot here, the way it is in the tropics. It's a temperate rainforest.

Some of the trees here are 1000 years old. Loggers haven't touched them--yet. But they are cutting down trees nearby, and they want to clear out some trees here too.

"We've got to protect this forest," Wayne tells us. "We have to save the trees in order to save the spirit bears and the salmon they eat."

"Salmon need trees?" someone asks.

"Yes," Wayne answers. "The trees' roots hold the soil and keep the rains from washing it into the creeks. If the trees were gone, the creeks would become clogged with soil. Then the fish would have no place to lay their eggs. Soon there wouldn't be any salmon for the bears to eat."

Many people agree with Wayne. They want to make the island into a park called Spirit Bear Provincial Park. But many more people will have to speak up for the park in order to save the trees.

DIVING FOR SALMON

Suddenly our spirit bear reappears! This time she comes out from between some rocks and stands alongside a black black bear we were watching. Then she slips quietly into the stream and seems to be sneaking up on a school of salmon.

Even Wayne is surprised at what she does next. In a deep pool near a pile of logs, she dives completely underwater. We hear her swimming around under the logs. Six salmon rocket out from beneath them. Then the spirit bear surfaces with a seventh salmon wriggling in her jaws!

Once again the Raven's legend proves to be true. Spirit bears really can swim deep in the water.

All that's left of the legend is to make sure that spirit bears can live here forever in peace. And that part is up to us.

BANANAS IN CANADA?

Tropical rainforests have bananas. But this Canadian rainforest has them too--huge banana slugs that ooze across logs and muddy trails.

WHAT'S ALL THE NOISE?