Bears and more bears

Copyright 2006 Lydia Hinshaw

FRASER, B.C. -- On our nearly daily trips through this area with tour groups, we have come to depend upon several local bears to hang out beside the road to entertain our tourists.
I've seen at least three bears on each of my last six or seven trips north into the Yukon Territory, most of them in this little corner of British Columbia. Often I've wondered whether the black bear I saw on the way back is the same one I saw on the way up.
Yesterday my customers and I enjoyed a real treat: The bear pictured above is one I know I haven't seen before, because all the others have been black. Most of them have been a bit thin and ragged looking, because they've just recently come our of hibernation and are eating, eating, eating to make up for their seven-month fast.
This brown fellow was quite a handsome and healthy specimen. He looked as if he'd just been to the groomer for a shampoo, cut and blow dry. And he was good enough to hang around and let my customers (and me!) take pictures for several minutes. When we headed up the road, he was still there, munching away, but he didn't make an appearance on our return trip.