It was a rule among the Gitga’at First Nation of British Columbia: do not speak of the spirit bear. More elusive and rare than the giant panda, the spirit bear is considered sacred among the native population of British Columbia, who recently broke their silence out of concern for the bears’ future. Trip Jennings and Andy Maser document a pristine natural area endangered by the development of oil reserves in and around the Great Bear Rainforest. Their two-week expedition, which included seven accomplished wildlife photographers and three videographers, offers an eerily beautiful look at the ghost-like species and its primeval habitat. As one National Geographic photographer put it, “This place has been hidden away from all the craziness that’s been happening on planet earth.”
READ MORE: Wild British Columbia August 2011, by Neil Ever Osborne
Comments