A proposed oil pipeline from Alberta to British Columbia in Canada poses a new threat to what is already one of the rarest creatures on Earth, the spirit bear.
ABC News America reports that with only 500 or so left on Earth, the spirit bear, or Kermode bear, has been dubbed 'Canada's panda'.
Look at a photo gallery of the bears.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
The creature's white fur has it commonly mistaken for polar bears, or albino versions of black bears. In reality, the spirit bear is a black bear whose fur is white due to a genetic trait.
Approximately one out of ten bears is born with the genetic fur mutation.
A Canadian conservation group believes a proposed oil pipeline would turn the spirit bear's habitat into a "superhighway for supertanks", ABC New America reports.
The Pacific Wild group says the only thing stopping this from happening is the tireless efforts of conservationists and the indigenous First People of the area.
Now, a team of conservationist photographers have taken up the cause of the spirit bear in an effort to bring recognition to the endangered species.
