Haida Gwaii Black Bear | Haida Gwaii Wildlife Guide

The Haida Gwaii black bear (Ursus americanus carlottae) is the largest sub-species of black bear in the world, and it is only found in Haida Gwaii. Unlike mainland black bears which can appear in a variety of colors, the bears here are only found in the black phase with a tan muzzle and, sometimes, a v-shaped blaze on the chest. The most significant difference between these bears and other black bears is that their jaws, skull and molars have grown much larger to accommodate their habit of feeding on shelled creatures in the intertidal zone like barnacles and crabs.

In the fall, these bears focus their feeding on spawned-out salmon carcasses, gaining approximately 70% of their annual protein intake. This is also when they fulfill their role as keystone species in the ecosystem by transporting carcass into the forest where they become nutrients for the massive trees. This is a niche primarily filled by brown bears on the mainland, but brown bears disappeared from the islands of Haida Gwaii around 11,000 years ago.

Know Before You Go