Q: After the Olympics in Vancouver, my buddy told me he thought he remembered someone on TV saying they found a white spirit bear. Is this true, or is he smoking too much peyote?—Gerald Nutinya, via email

A: I’m happy to report that your pal isn’t just making up stories after getting hazed and infused with post-Olympics joy.

There is a rare subspecies of black bear, called a Kermode bear, that often exhibits white pigmentation. These bears aren’t albino or blonde like some other black and brown bears; instead, they possess a recessive gene that expresses itself in 1/10 of the population as a white or cream-colored coat. They’re usually found on the coast of British Columbia, but sightings have been reported in Minnesota, too.

In fact, some folks in BC recently stumbled upon a hibernating Kermode bear when they fell into its den. They’ve set up a webcam to watch the bear (which they named Apollo) while he sleeps. Watch:

Read more from the original source:
Ask A Bear: Are White Spirit Bears Real?

Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, ‘Ask A Bear.’

Q: I don’t know how acquainted you are with mountain lions, but can you ask one what they think of small children in the wild? Do they look like prey or do mountain lions try to avoid them? What should a
parent do to keep their children safe?—love2hike, via email

A: How dare you ask a mountain lion question in this forum—I’m a bear, for Bjorn’s sake! Just kidding: While I’m not exactly tight with mountain lions, I know plenty of ‘em, since we live in the same general neighborhood.

I’ll tell ya what they think of small children in the wild: “mmm-mmmm tasty.” While mountain lions are often shy and secretive, small children would fall right into their prey category, and captured wild mountain lions have shown particular attraction to small children. In fact, most recent mountain lion attacks on humans have been directed towards kids.

That all sounds scary, but no need to panic. Just keep your little ones close to you in the wild, and never let them out of your sight, even for a few minutes (a good general rule for the wild, or the supermarket). The noises you make as people will probably scare off cougars long before you notice them, and they are less likely to take a chance on nabbing a kid if an adult is nearby.

If you encounter a mountain lion with your child, immediately pull them close and pick them up without turning around or crouching. This serves a dual purpose: It lessens the chance a mountain lion can separate you from your child, and it makes you look bigger and more intimidating. Start yelling, making noise, throwing rocks, and you’ll likely find out this fearsome beast is more fraidy cat than anything else. If it attacks, use rocks, sticks, your jacket, and even your bare hands to fight the cougar off while protecting your head and neck. It’ll most likely work.

—BEAR

Original post:
Ask A Bear: Kids and Mountain Lions?

Description:

The Enderby Cliffs tower high above the city offering breathtaking views of the Shuswap and the North Okanagan.

Photos of Enderby Cliffs Provincial Park

These photos contain pictures of Enderby Cliffs Provincial Park hike.

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Directions:

5 km northeast of Enderby
Turn East onto Mable Lake Road at the only set of lights in Enderby. Continue for 2km down Mable Lake Road and take a lefthand turn onto Brash Allen Road heading north. At 1.4km, Brash Allen road forks – stay right and continue down the unpaved road for 1.6 km until you reach the parking lot in the field on the southwest side of road intersection. The trail starts at the road intersection and heads east up the gravel path to the base of the trail.

More Information:

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/enderby_cliffs/

Description

Bear Creek Provincial Park is located in the Central Okanagan Basin on the west side of Okanagan Lake. The park features lakeside camping, over 400 meters of sandy beaches and 5 km of spectacular, well-marked hiking trails.

Photos of Bear Creek Provincial Park

These photos contain pictures of Bear Creek Provincial Park including the Bear Creek Canyon trailhike.

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Things to do:

Bear Creek Provincial Park has many things to offer and is a great place for families with kids.

• Canoeing
• Cycling
• Fishing
• Pets on Leash
• Hiking (Bear Creek Canyon Trail is one of my faviorte hikes in Kelowna)
• Swimming
• Wildlife Viewing
• Day-use/Picnic Areas (some 59 tables, 12 with BBQ attachments, and parking for 180 vehicles)
• Pit or Flush Toilets
• Playground
• Camping (There are 122 vehicle accessible sites in the park, including 18 doubles)
• Campfires
• Sani-Station/Dump
• Showers
• Wheelchair Access

Bear Creek Canyon Trail

The Bear Creek Canyon trail is a popular, more demanding hike offering spectacular views of the creek and the surrounding area. The trail leaves the parking lot and makes a loop of the canyon. Hikers can cross the creek on a footbridge to the north side of the canyon and begin their ascent of the slope. A sturdy staircase of milled lumber makes the climb a little easier and reduces impact on the plant life and soil structure. A viewpoint after the first flight of stairs offers a place to rest and look down at the creek.

The wide, hard-packed trail continues up the rim of the canyon with two more viewpoints perched on the edge of the canyon wall and hemmed in by chainlink fence. The view of the creek, as it meanders through the steep-walled canyon forming various ripples and small waterfalls, is fantastic. Gradually the trail levels out and then begins a descent to the creek. A pit toilet is located here. The trail follows the creek for a short distance before crossing to the south side.

The canyon forms a microclimate with noticeably different vegetation on the two sides of the creek. The slope on the north is dry with Ponderosa pine and bunches of grass while the cooler south side has Douglas fir and carpets of moss, evidence of more moisture and shade. Allow 1 hour to hike Canyon and for your own safety and preservation of the park, obey posted signs and keep to designated trails.

Directions:

The park is located on Westside Road, 9 km off Highway 97, west of Kelowna. From Highway 97, traveling south, leave the city of Kelowna, cross floating bridge on Highway 97 out of Kelowna, travel 2 km and turn west onto Westside Road at the main intersection and follow for 7 km. The entrance to the park is just past the bridge over the Lambly (Bear) Creek. The closest community, towns and cities are Kelowna, Westbank and small housing developments on Westside Road.

More Information:

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/bear_crk/