Incredible Discovery On A Michigan Trail: A Rare Spirit Bear – One In A Million!

A one-of-a-kind black bear was captured on camera in Michigan and people can’t get enough of it.

A Michigan trail camera managed to photograph a white-colored black bear in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Photos of the bear were shared in a Facebook post by an Upper Peninsula hiking guide Facebook page, Yooper Outdoors #906.

They captioned the post:

“Ecstatic Bear Eve!! There has been a white black bear on camera in the Yoop! Extremely rare, but you never know what May strolling into your bait might bring!”

Officials with the Department of Natural Resources haven’t independently confirmed that the large mammal actually has white fur, but based on the images that were sent to them and other area reports, they are fairly certain.

According to Fox Weather, Cody Norton with DNR said:

“I thought it was just too fascinating. It’s just thrilling seeing an animal pop up like this here instead of somewhere else. We’ve had some cinnamon color phases show up, some blonde and chocolate on some trail cameras we use for surveys which is also really fascinating to see. But those are more common in bear populations. White is its own thing.”

PHOTO: FACEBOOK / YOOPER OUTDOORS #906He added that he believes the bear is on the younger side, estimating it to be around 2 years old.

The North American Bear Center reports that black bears with white fur are not polar bears or albinos. Instead, they’re known as spirit bears and it’s estimated there are only about 100 in existence.

The largest population of spirit bears live on Princess Royal and Gribbell Islands, but outside of British Colombia, the chance of a black bear being white is about one in a million.

With only a small number of spirit bears in existence, the sighting of a white black bear in Michigan has brought renewed attention to the importance of protecting and preserving vulnerable species. The incident is a reminder of the need to maintain diverse and healthy habitats that can support a wide range of animal populations.