The picture that supports the speculation of scientists:“Most black bears are black with a light brown muzzle and often have a white V-shaped fur patch on their chest. The North American black bear Ursus americanus is the smallest and the most widespread bear species found in North America. Its ancestors are believed to have crossed into North America over the Bering Land Bridge.” (from http://www.bearsoftheworld.net)
“Asian black bears are medium-sized bears that inhabit parts of southeast Asia and the Russian Far East. Asian black bears have a patch of yellowish-white fur on their chest and a black body. They resemble American black bears in body shape and behavior. Asian black bears feed on a variety of plant materials including bamboo shoots, leaves, herbs, grasses, fruits and nuts.” ( from About.com Animals / Wildlife)
Every tour from the lodge is a black bear tour as they are most often seen along the shore at low tide turning over rocks in search of food. These bears do not have access to the salmon spawning rivers as they are under the protection of the grizzly bear. For a grizzly a black bear would be food for several days.
Just as all grizzly bears are not the same size or the same colours not all have the same ability when it comes to catching salmon. The fall viewing area on Knight Inlet’s Glendale River has an abundance of pink salmon and this attracts the bears. The estimated of grizzly salmon consumption runs from 40 to 100 pounds in a day depending on the size of the bear. Even if you take a low number of fifty pounds considering the pink salmon average weight are 3.5 to 4 lbs. They still need at least 12 to 15 fish a day to fatten for the winter. Bigger bears allot more. Bears fishing for salmon is not a hobby it is a lifestyle.
