(Nature, 2020)." Sharp, curved, black claws enable black bears to climb trees easily. Black bears primarily live in forests, although they are frequently attracted to human communities thanks to the ready availability of food. In Europe, they tend to live in wooded areas in the mountains and, in Siberia they prefer forests. The most common and widespread bear in Canada, the black bear (Ursus americanus) is found predominantly in forests of every province and territory, with the exception of Prince Edward Island. Bears living on the north end of Kodiak Island tend to have longer denning periods than bears in the southern areas. Also known as Kermode Bears, they are actually black bears with a recessive gene. Inuit poetry refers to the polar bear as Pihoqahiak, “the ever-wandering one.” Polar bears spend many months of the year at sea hunting seals, their main dietary staple, and can swim and run long distances. Adults are usually 150–180 cm long from nose to tail, and approximately 90 cm from foot to shoulder when on all fours. If it’s your first time visiting the 2 nd largest country in the world and you’re keen to get a glimpse of the wildlife, we’ve listed 10 animals below that you might want to see on your trip to Canada… From McGill’s Redpath Museum. Always respect Mother Nature. The Canadian Rocky and Columbia Mountains are home to both grizzly and black bears. Access to the river estuary and the protected areas of the park is limited to a handful of licensed operators, including Khutzeymateen Wilderness Lodge, Bluewater Adventures and Prince Rupert Adventure Tours. A black bear rests in a tree in Port Moody, B.C. Cubs are born blind like other bears and stay with their mother for a year or more. On the other hand, black bears and grizzly bears live in areas that people visit. (Photo: Jenny Stevens/Can Geo Photo Club), A pair of recently weaned female grizzlies lounge on the remains of a logging jetty in Knight Inlet, B.C. As a preparation for denning, grizzly bears consume large chunks of food during summer and fall. Sport hunting black bears is legal in Canada. A female grizzly bear with a freshly-caught salmon in British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest. The female does not emerge from the den until the cubs' eyes open and they can follow her. Polar bears in Canada surround the Arctic Ocean, and are found as far south as James Bay and Newfoundland Island. Likewise, if bears have access to human food or trash in the winter, they may skip hibernation altogether, even in winters with heavy snow accumulation. Body temperature drops from 38°C to 31–34°C, respiration slows and the metabolic rate declines. Polar bear standing between two ice floes. (Photo: Bianca Boudreau/Can Geo Photo Club), A polar bear swims in open water off the coast of Baffin Island. (Photo: Shelley Jacques/Can Geo Photo Club), A black bear marks its territory by rubbing its back against a tree in Manning Provincial Park, B.C. At least two thirds of the world’s polar bears live on Canadian territory, giving Canadians a special relationship with —and responsibility for— these bears. Approximately 2,200 bears live in Katmai National Park, and one of the best places to see bears at Katmai is at the famous Brooks Falls. Nunavut’s Baffin Island, the largest island in the country, is also a popular home for polar bears due to its Arctic location. Nearly all eastern North American black bears are jet black, often with a white chest patch. 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