Extremely Rare, White 'Spirit Bear' Seen Roaming In MI Upper Peninsula

MICHIGAN — A rare black bear with white fur was caught wandering the woods in the western portion of the Upper Peninsula on a trail camera by an Upper Peninsula trekking guide Facebook group.

It is the first time the bear, known as a Kermode or "spirit bear" has been seen in Michigan, and just the fifth time one has ever been seen outside of British Columbia in Western Canada.

Wildlife biologist and large carnivore expert for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Cody Norton told Fox 2 Detroit the bear is extremely rare, because both the male and female parents of the bear contained a recessive gene for white fur, the result of a one-in-a-million chance.

The U.P. resident who owns the trail camera told MLive they didn't believe the bear was white at first and even deleted the first couple of photos, thinking the camera just captured bright flashes.

"Well, the next day, it was like five o’clock, and I’m still getting pictures from this bait. And I look and I’m like, 'Oh my God. Look at this thing,'" he said.

Spirit bears are not polar bears or albinos, but rather rare black bears with white or creamy fur, brown eyes, dark nose pads and nearly white claws. Only about 100 still exist, mostly in Western Canada, according to the Northwoods Ecology Hall.