Bears Playing

Canada has a number of large animals that have taken on iconic status in our history and hopefully, in our future. Whether it be the caribou that appears on our 25 cent piece or the polar bear on our toonie, the grizzly bear is a well known inhabitant of Western Canada.

Established in 1994 as Canada's first and only grizzly bear sanctuary, the Khutzeymateen area comprises over 13,000 hectares of protected land and is located approximately 45 kms northwest of Prince Rupert (British Columbia). Added to the main sanctuary in 2008, the Khutzeymateen Inlet and Conservancy is accessed primarily by boat or float plane.

I have been to the "Khutz" twice to observe the grizzly and to photograph this majestic animal. Each time during a different season which brings different behaviours and feeding patterns. As the Khutz is a protected area, viewing of bears can only be done from the water - no landings are allowed in this pristine environment.  We were a small group in a R.I.B. (a rigid inflatable boat) and spent our days on the water looking for bears.  

After a morning of searching the shoreline, we found a pair of young adult males wrestling and playing on a mountain slope.  As this was late May, the bears were still working on feeding and re-gaining their strength from a winter of hibernation. Young males can play hard and they use this exercise to get strong and, as a form of social engagement.

These two clearly enjoyed each other’s company!

Click here to discover more wildlife photography from Canadian visual artist Christine Lundvall.