Spirit Bear Christmas Ornament
B.C.’s central and northern coast is home to the “spirit bear,” British Columbia’s official mammal and the world’s only white-coloured black bear.
These beautiful creatures are neither albino or polar bear, but a rare, white variant of the Kermode subspecies of the American black bear. Indigenous legend has it Spirit Bears were created to remind us to be thankful for our lush, bountiful land, once covered by glaciers.
I've only ever seen a spirit bear once in my life at the B.C. Wildlife Park in Kamloops, where Clover, a rescued male spirit bear, resides. But many people make the trek to the northern tip of Vancouver Island for a short plane ride and guided tour to catch a glimpse of these rare creatures in the wild.
Ornament details:
This gorgeous spirit bear ornament is handmade of blown-glass and resin. It shimmers in a pearl finish with hints of copper, along with glossy black detailing for the eyes and nose.
What's special about this blown-glass Christmas ornament is that I designed it so his legs would be separate and distinct from each other. To do that, the legs are made of resin and it means the ornament is the heaviest of all my designs — but still light enough to hang on a fresh tree. I also designed it after a cub, which I think makes him especially cute.
Size 3.75" length X 1.75" width X 3" height (9.6 cm X 4.3 cm X 7.8cm)
Materials: blown glass and resin
P.S. Learn more about this fascinating creature in the BBC Wildlife Magazine post 10 spirit bear facts you need to know.
