These majestic creatures are found across Canada, so those going on a bear (sighting) hunt for grizzly, black, or polar are in luck. The animals have the largest and most complex brains of any North American mammal, as well as enormous teeth and claws that put them right at the top of the food chain. Here are our top three places in Canada to spot these solitary animals in the wild...
British Columbia
Between September and November every year millions of salmon return to their spawning grounds across British Columbia where, in turn, thousands of bears are waiting to tuck-in to a fishy feast after months of hibernation. The sight of hungry bears waiting at the top of waterfalls as huge salmon leap upstream is one of the most memorable in nature.
Churchill, Manitoba
Churchill is over 600 miles from provincial capital Winnipeg, and there are no roads in or out, so we're talking pretty remote. The good news, though, is that this is also prime polar bear territory. Walking safaris - with an expert and highly trained guide - are the best and most responsible way to get close to what are the biggest bears in the world, going about their daily life in the tundra.
Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia
Spirit, or Kermode, bears are an extraordinarily rare sub-species of black bears - there are fewer than 500 of these fully white bears living on islands off the coast of Vancouver in British Columbia. The bears' survival may be down to the local indigenous tribes, whose oral tradition makes many a reference to the snowy white bears and who didn't hunt them or even mention their existence to fur trappers.
Thinking about your own bear-spotting adventure? Get in touch with the team today.