The Canadian Press
Camille Bains
VANCOUVER—Bear biologists are trying to demystify the genetic makeup of a rare cream-coloured black bear cub spotted near the resort community of Whistler, B.C.
Arthur De Jong said he saw the cub frolicking with its mother on Whistler-Blackcomb mountain last Thursday, a couple of days after a guide first caught a glimpse of it.
“I made some approximations, knowing where the best food supply is, and on a hunch I just got lucky and caught the two for a 45-minute span between meetings,” said the environmental planning manager for Whistler-Blackcomb.
He said such a unique bear had never before been seen in the ski area and he snapped some photos to send to bear biologists.
De Jong said several experts are trying to determine whether the cub, which is about five months old, is albino or a kermode bear, which live on B.C.’s north and central coast and also are known as “spirit bears.”
So far, they believe it’s albino because unlike white kermodes, the cub does not have a black nose or pigmentation.
“It’s not white, its got a caramel, light, sort of brownish sheen to its fur,” De Jong noted, adding biologists want to see photos of the cub’s eyes because a “pink-blue colour” would mean it’s albino.
“I’ve repeatedly heard from various bear experts that its [fur] colour is the result of recessive genes from both parents,” he said.
De Jong said he’s nervous that the “little guy” may not survive for long, and could become habituated to people and garbage.
“It may not be with us in the next few weeks,” he warned. “Cubs have about a 50 percent chance of survival in year one.”
De Jong said people will want to venture off in hopes of seeing the cub, but becoming habituated to humans markedly would reduce the animal’s chance of staying alive.
Conservation officer Simon Gravel, who covers the Whistler area, also said he’s worried selfie-seekers will flock to the mountains to search for the cub.
“We really advise against any intent to find and approach this bear,” he stressed. “It would be disrespectful for the bear and contribute toward a potential conflict situation.
“That’s what we want to avoid at all price.”
