KERMODE BEAR
Company -> Timberlands -> Stewardship -> Implementation ->

The white phase of the black bear (Ursus americanus kermodei), or Kermode, is rare within the province of British Columbia, with most occurrences recorded from the north central coast of B.C., including Roderick Island, Princess Royal Island, and Gribbell Island as well as in the Terrace and Nass River regions. However, the range of the Kermode trait has not been well delineated, nor has the genetic mechanism for white coat colouration been adequately explained (Marshall and Ritland 1998). Although this white phase is protected from hunting, biologists are unsure whether Kermode bears are a distinct subspecies. Western Forest Products, working with Forest Renewal British Columbia's (FRBC) Resource Inventory Program, is gathering more information necessary as a basis for effective management of these bears and to help define the geographic distribution of the Kermode trait more closely. Specific goals are to examine gene flow within and among island and mainland populations and address whether assortative mating occurs within Kermode populations. For project details go to Genetics of Kermode Bears - Hair Sampling