Whistler is prime bear country, home to both black bears and grizzlies. While black bears have been a common sight in the community for generations, grizzly sightings in residential areas are a relatively new phenomenon in recent years. With the region’s grizzly population recovering, and the expansion of Whistler’s alpine trail network, grizzly sightings are expected to become more common.  
 
While simply spotting a grizzly isn’t a cause for alarm, it is important to know how to distinguish between grizzlies and black bears and how to navigate encounters with them.  

What to do if you encounter a grizzly or a black bear  

The best bear encounter is one you avoid.  
 
First things first, look for physical signs of a bear in the area, such as tree scratches, overturned logs, scat, paw tracks, and food remnants. Keep dogs near you and on-leash, and travel through bear country in groups, when possible.  

If an encounter cannot be avoided, understanding bears’ behaviour and how to respond to it is essential. Whether grizzly or black bear, if the animal is unaware you are there, make sure to keep it in your sights and go back the way you came.  

If a bear shows indifferent or submissive behaviour, such as avoiding eye contact, tentative foot movements, fleeing or climbing a tree, talk firmly and calmly so the bear knows you’re not a threat. You never want to get in between a bear and its young or food, so be on the lookout for cubs, berries and a fresh kill. Back away slowly and leave the area, ideally the way you came.  

When a bear is stressed or agitated, it can exhibit the following behaviours:  

• Maintaining eye contact ​ 
• Huffing or blowing​ 
• Jaw popping​ 
• Paw swatting​ 
• Slapping the ground ​ 
• Bluff charges  

In this case, you want to, again, speak firmly and calmly, check your surroundings and back away slowly, all while keeping the bear in sight. It’s important to not make direct eye contact with the bear. If a bear continues to bluff charge, stand your ground. The bear should stop before making contact. Make sure to have bear spray ready, which is most effective when deployed at a distance of five to 10 metres.  

If the bear continues to approach, yell and try to move to higher ground — but don’t climb a tree, as bears are natural climbers. Make yourself appear as big as possible and have bear-spray ready. 

If a bear knocks you down in a defensive attack after it was surprised or is protecting its young or a food source, you want to lie on your stomach, spread your legs, protect the back of your head and neck with your hands, and play dead. The bear is more likely to stop when it no longer feels threatened. Don’t get up until you are certain the bear has left the area.  

If a bear continues to attack or claws and bites, you want to fight back with everything you have. Deploy bear spray if you can, and use rocks, branches, even your phone to fight it off. Aim strikes at the bear’s face, eyes and snout.  

Physical appearance  

Grizzlies (ursus arctos horribilis) and black bears (ursus americanus) are quite different in terms of size, behaviour and habitat. Despite their name, black and grizzly bears can be similar in colour. Black bears can be black, brown, cinnamon, blonde or even white. Most grizzlies have brown fur, which can range from light to dark brown, although they can also have near-black coats or even cinnamon, blonde, or in rare cases, white coats.  

Grizzlies are usually larger than black bears, weighing anywhere from 400 to 1,000 pounds. Black bears, meanwhile, tend to tip the scales anywhere between 150 and 600 pounds.

Grizzlies’ noticeable shoulder hump, a mass of muscle used for digging grub, is another effective way to distinguish them from black bears. They also have a dished, somewhat concave facial profile compared to black bears, which normally have a more “Roman” or convex profile. Grizzlies also tend to have smaller, more rounded ears while black bears’ ears are larger and pointed. A grizzly’s claws, ideal for digging, are long and straight, while a black bear’s claws are short and curved, making them great climbers. Because of this, grizzlies tend to favour open habitats compared to black bears. Grizzlies also evolved in alpine habitat, which helps explain their aversion to climbing compared to black bears, which evolved in forested habitat. 

Diet  

Both grizzlies and black bears are opportunistic omnivores. Black bears tend to eat more berries, nuts, insects and vegetation, while grizzlies commonly feed on fish, berries, grasses, insectrs, roots, ungulates and other small mammals. While both species have similar diets, their feeding behaviours differ.

Grizzlies tend to be more aggressive around food sources and more likely to stay put to guard kills or fish runs, while black bears often avoid confrontation, preferring to flee rather than fight.

No matter the species, there are some general bear-smart practices we should all engage in to foster peaceful co-existence with Whistler’s ursine residents. Like any wildlife, respect their space and freedom to roam and ensure you store your food and other attractants properly. For more bear-smart tips, click here.