In Michigan, a trail camera caught a rare image of a white-colored black bear. The photos, posted by Yooper Outdoors #906, showed the bear scavenging through a bait trap area placed in the woods by a hunter.
Happy Bear Eve!!!
There’s been a white black bear on camera in the Yoop! Extremely rare, but ya never know what may come walking into your bait!
Facebook
The bear was spotted in the Upper Peninsula where bears are commonly found in Michigan. Although the Department of Natural Resources have not confirmed that the bear has white fur, the photos are pretty convincing. Some bears have sported cinnamon color coats as well as blonde and chocolate colors, but white is very rare. The white fur does not, however mean the bear is a polar bear. In fact, the rare chance that both male and female bear parents who have a recessive gene for white fur, would be the reason for an offspring to have this white coat.
Most of the bears born with white fur have been found in western Canada and have been labeled Spirit Bears. According to North American Bear Center, they are considered a subspecies of black bears called Kermode bears (Ursus americanus kermodeii). About 20 percent of the bears on those islands are white.
It is not known if the bear seen in Michigan has any connection to the Kermode bears, but this particular bear is estimated to be only two years of age.
We can only hope because of its young age and its beauty that hunters don’t try to make him a trophy.
(Photos via Facebook Yooper Outdoors)
Follow the National Pet Rescue on Facebook for the latest animal related news.
How sad hunters are allowed to bait bears. This poor animal will never grow up because every hunter will be out there gunning for it for it’s fur. I wish they would make bear baiting illegal and take no cubs!
I hope that hunters leave this precious treasure alone. He deserves to live a long life (as do ALL animals)…….. I hope he makes it to old age……,