Canada’s expansive wilderness provides a home for a diverse array of wildlife, including three prominent bear species. These animals thrive across the country’s varied landscapes, from dense forests to arctic ice, each uniquely adapted to its environment.
North American Black Bear
The North American Black Bear, Ursus americanus, is the most widespread bear species in Canada, inhabiting nearly every province and territory. While commonly black, their fur can vary significantly in color, appearing brown, cinnamon, or even white, as seen in the Kermode bear subspecies found in British Columbia. These bears are distinguishable by their straight facial profile, short claws, and the absence of a prominent shoulder hump.
Black bears are highly adaptable omnivores, with their diet shifting based on seasonal availability. They consume a wide range of foods, including berries, nuts, roots, insects, fish, and carrion. Black bears are excellent climbers, using this to escape predators or access food. They are largely solitary animals, though their home ranges can overlap.
Grizzly Bear
The Grizzly Bear, Ursus arctos horribilis, is a subspecies of brown bear primarily found in western and northern Canada, including British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories. These bears are notably larger than black bears and possess a distinctive shoulder hump, a dished-in facial profile, and long, curved claws well-suited for digging. Their fur color can range from light blonde to dark brown, often with white-tipped hairs that give them a “grizzled” appearance.
Grizzly bears are omnivores. They consume large mammals, fish like salmon, roots, and berries, with vegetation often making up a significant portion of their diet. These bears prefer open country, mountain regions, and river valleys, where they find abundant food. While solitary, they may gather in areas with concentrated food, such as salmon-spawning streams.
Polar Bear
The Polar Bear, Ursus maritimus, is uniquely adapted to Canada’s Arctic regions, relying heavily on sea ice for its survival. These large carnivores have thick fur and a substantial layer of blubber for insulation against the cold, along with large, slightly webbed paws that aid in swimming and walking on ice. Their fur, which appears white, is actually translucent and reflects light, providing camouflage in their snowy environment.
Polar bears are primarily carnivorous. Seals, particularly ringed and bearded seals, form their main diet. They are skilled hunters, often ambushing seals at breathing holes or stalking them on the sea ice. Excellent swimmers, polar bears undertake long migrations across the Arctic, following sea ice to hunt prey. Their dependence on sea ice makes them vulnerable to environmental changes.