Whistler’s white bear cub sparks debate

Photos of a mama black bear and her cub have Whistler wildlife experts puzzled over the cause of the five-month-old’s pale off-white coat.

The cub is the first of its kind documented in the area according to Planning and Resource Manager Arthur De Jong.

“We keep very careful records within the ski area and never have we seen a cub of such colour before,” De Jong told Global News.

Though the animal has been spotted and photographed numerous times on Whistler Mountain, experts are unable to say with certainty whether the bear is an albino or Kermode, also known as “Spirit Bears”.

Dr. Ken Macquisten, a veterinarian who has studied bears for a decade, told Global News that genetics are probably the cause for the white bear cub, though without seeing the animal up close its hard to tell.

“An albino is a bear that has recessive genes and no pigmentation in their body anywhere,” Macquisten explained. “A Kermode bear is a white bear that has genes that makes its hair coat white recessive genes, but also retains some pigmentation in its eyes and in its nose.”

If the cub is a Spirit Bear, it would be a first.

“I haven’t heard of a white bear being found this far south, typically they’re on the west and north coast of British Columbia,” said Macquisten.

Whether the cause is albinism or just a slight pigment deficiency one thing is for certain… This cub is un-bear-ably adorable.