Brown Bear
Brown BearBrown BearBrown BearBrown Bear

Brown Bear

Ursus arctos

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic
20–30% · Possible
overall probability at Great Bear Rainforest
223 Verified records at Great Bear Rainforest
September Best month highest sighting rate
🌅 Crepuscular When it's active at dawn and dusk

The brown bear (Ursus arctos) is a large bear native to Eurasia and North America. Of the land carnivorans, it is rivaled in size only by its closest relative, the polar bear, which is much less variable in size and slightly bigger on average. The brown bear is a sexually dimorphic species, as adult males are larger and more compactly built than females. The fur ranges in color from cream to reddish to dark brown. It has evolved large hump muscles, unique among bears, and paws up to 21 cm (8.3 in) wide and 36 cm (14 in) long, to effectively dig through dirt. Its teeth are similar to those of other bears and reflect its dietary plasticity. Wikipedia →

20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Bear sighting in Great Bear Rainforest, based on 223 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Great Bear Rainforest

American Black Bear
LC Endemic

American Black Bear

☀️🌙 Day & Night Mammal

Ursus americanus

40–50% · Likely
Harbor Seal
LC

Harbor Seal

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Phoca vitulina

30–40% · Possible
Sea Otter
EN

Sea Otter

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Enhydra lutris

20–30% · Possible
Northern Sea Lion
NT

Northern Sea Lion

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Eumetopias jubatus

20–30% · Possible
Northern River Otter
LC Endemic

Northern River Otter

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Lontra canadensis

10–20% · With luck
Common Raccoon
LC Endemic

Common Raccoon

☀️🌙 Day & Night Mammal

Procyon lotor

10–20% · With luck
Gray Wolf
LC Endemic

Gray Wolf

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Canis lupus

10–20% · With luck
Red Fox
LC Endemic

Red Fox

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Vulpes vulpes

5–10% · With luck
Coastal Marten

Coastal Marten

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Martes caurina

5–10% · With luck
California Sea Lion
LC

California Sea Lion

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Zalophus californianus

5–10% · With luck
Canada Lynx
LC

Canada Lynx

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Lynx canadensis

<5% · Rare
Stoat
LC Endemic

Stoat

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Mustela erminea

<5% · Rare

📅 Monthly Probability

<5
Jan
<5
Feb
5–10
Mar
10–20
Apr
20–30
May
20–30
Jun
20–30
Jul
20–30
Aug
30–40
Sep
10–20
Oct
<5
Nov
<5
Dec

🌅 When They're Spotted

Most active at dawn and dusk · across all parks (global)

🌅Crepuscular
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Katmai National Park 🇺🇸 United States
90–100%
2 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
60–70%
3 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
50–60%
4 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
50–60%
5 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
50–60%
6 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
40–50%
7 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
40–50%
8 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
40–50%
9 Tatra National Park 🇸🇰 Slovakia
30–40%
10 Kenai Fjords National Park 🇺🇸 United States
30–40%
11 Gates of the Arctic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
30–40%
12 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
20–30%
13 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
20–30%
14 Gauja National Park 🇱🇻 Latvia
20–30%
15 Picos de Europa National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
10–20%
16 Aigüestortes National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
5–10%
17 Triglav National Park 🇸🇮 Slovenia
5–10%
18 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
19 Nahanni National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Brown Bear in Great Bear Rainforest?

About 24% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Bear sighting in Great Bear Rainforest, based on 223 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Brown Bear in Great Bear Rainforest?

September has the highest sighting rate for Brown Bear in Great Bear Rainforest in our monthly data.

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