Kermode bear
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[Photo] Kermode Bear (Ursus americanus kermodei). Photo by Jackmont.

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Order: Carnivora
Family: Ursidae
Species: Ursus americanus (American Black Bear)
Subspecies: Ursus americanus kermodei

The Kermode bear also known as "Spirit Bear", is a genetically-unique subspecies of American black bear found in the central coast of British Columbia. Kermodeis are noted for the appearance in their gene pool of a recessive trait that gives a small percentage of their population white or cream-coloured coats. They are neither albino nor related to polar bears, instead being a color phase of the American black bear. Because of the ghost like appearance of the bears, "Spirit Bears" hold a prominent place in the native mythology of the area.

The Kermodei subspecies ranges from Princess Royal Island to Prince Rupert Island on the coast, and inland toward Hazelton, British Columbia. It is known the the native poplulation as Moksgm’ol. In the February 2006 speech from the throne by the Government of British Columbia, the premier announced his government's intention to designate the Kermode or Spirit bear as British Columbia's official animal.

Coat color
In 2001, it was reported that a single nucleotide replacement in the melanocortin 1 receptor gene (mc1r) is responsible for the coat color of the Kermode bear. Scientists sampled the DNA from 220 bears and found a complete association of a recessive allele with the white phase.

Conservation
The habitat for the Kermode bear has been under threat from logging. As of February 2006, the government of British Columbia has brokered a land-use agreement with environmental and First Nations groups and with the logging industry to protect 18,000 square kilometres of land, including one of the largest intact temperate rainforests in the world called The Great Bear Rainforest; the home of the Kermode bear. The agreement will limit forestry in the area and help support eco-tourism. However, in September of 2006, logging began in the Green Watershed, a critical area of Spirit Bear habitat that was not protected under the land-use agreement, but the logging plan for the watershed was overseen, and agreed upon by several environmental groups, including Green Peace.

Eco-tourism, outlined by the BC government as a key economic initiative to be fostered in the area, is deemed by many as an essential piece for the conservation of this rainforest and the kermode bear. As many First Nations groups inhabit this area and rely on the natural resources for their livelihood, eco-tourism can be a viable alternative that will promote the protection of species and wilderness for the use of low impact tourism initiatives. Some of these initiatives include bear viewing tours, whale watching, and cultural tours. Spirit Bear Adventures owned and operated by the Kitasoo / Xai Xais people of Klemtu is an example of this type of an eco - tourism initiative.

Simon Jackson founded the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition, a conservation campaign that is now one of the largest youth conservation groups in the world. A feature film has been made about the spirit bear???Spirit Bear: The Simon Jackson Story and a further animated film, The Spirit Bear, is in production.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kermode_bear

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