With round than 500 left on Earth, the spirit bear has been dubbed Canada's pandas. Find out more about the creatures.
- Spirit bears, or Kermode bears, are black bears whose fur is white due to a rare genetic trait. Contrary to popular belief, they are not an albino version of the black bear, as they have brown eyes noses and paws. They are not related to polar bears, either
- The greatest concentration of these creatures is in central and north coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is illegal to hunt spirit bears in this province
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- Almost one-tenth of bears on Princess Royal Island in British Columbia are born with white fur, making this small island the place with the biggest concentration of spirit bears
- They weigh between 70kg and 135 kg, and can live for up to 25 years in the wild
- They can go for up to seven months without food during winter months in the northern parts of Canada
- Spirit bears are revered in Native American culture as a symbol of things past, particular the Ice Age. According to traditional beliefs, God made one out of every ten bears to remind people of the hardships faced during the Ice Age
