Grizzly or black bear? The Lions Bay bear debate

August 18, 2026

Grizzly or black bear? The Lions Bay bear debate

Are you Team Black Bear or Team Grizzly Bear?

A bear spotted in the Lions Bay, B.C., area has sparked a bear-identification debate on social media.

A recent video was reported as a rare grizzly bear sighting, prompting a warning from Lions Bay Search and Rescue. Since then, the footage has circulated, and there is some disagreement about which species is starring in the video.

Our team at the Grizzly Bear Foundation has spent quite a bit of time looking at bears over the years, and we have to admit: we can see why people might be unsure about this one. So, we polled our team and consulted some leading bear experts, turning this debate into a fun opportunity for a little Bear Identification 101.

First lesson: don't judge a bear by its colour

Despite the species' common names, fur colour is not a reliable way to tell an American black bear (Ursus americanus) from a grizzly/brown bear (Ursus arctos).

Black bears aren't always black. They can be brown, cinnamon, blonde, bluish-grey and even white (as in the rare spirit bear subspecies). Grizzly bears aren't always brown, either—they can range from very dark brown or nearly black to light blonde.

That’s why colour alone can’t tell us which species we’re looking at. We need to look at a few more clues.

So what should you look for?

When identifying a bear, it’s important to look at a combination of physical features rather than relying on any one characteristic. Body position, camera angle, lighting, age and individual variation can all make identification more difficult, so the best approach is to consider several characteristics together:

Shoulders: Grizzlies typically have a prominent hump, a mass of shoulder muscles they use for digging. Black bears generally have a flatter back, with their rump often appearing higher than their shoulders.
Face: A grizzly usually has a more concave, dish-shaped facial profile, while a black bear tends to have a straighter profile from forehead to nose.
Ears: Black bears generally have taller, more prominent ears. Grizzly ears tend to look smaller and rounder in proportion to their head.
Claws: Grizzlies have long, relatively straight front claws adapted for digging. Black bear claws are generally shorter and more curved, which helps make them excellent tree climbers.

And our Lions Bay contestant?

It would be great to see more evidence, but from the footage we’ve seen, our team and the bear biologists we consulted are all leaning strongly toward Team Black Bear.

The ears, facial profile, and overall body shape have us seeing Ursus americanus. The cinnamon-brown fur, meanwhile, can certainly be deceiving. And at one point in the video, the bear’s shoulders become more prominent, creating the appearance of that characteristic grizzly hump—but we think that’s more a momentary effect of posture and camera angle than a true shoulder hump.

Could we call in the bear for questioning? Unfortunately, he or she has declined our interview request.

Why the identification matters

Of course, this isn't just a fun bear identification exercise. A grizzly moving through the area is entirely possible—and would be pretty exciting. Lions Bay sits within the range of the Garibaldi-Pitt Grizzly Bear Population Unit (GBPU), a threatened population with very few grizzly bears remaining, within one of the most endangered grizzly bear regions in North America.

Grizzly bears historically occupied much more of southwestern B.C., but today their numbers in this region are extremely low, with several populations considered Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). A confirmed grizzly sighting here would therefore be certainly noteworthy and an exciting reminder that this is historic grizzly bear habitat and they can and do move across these landscapes.

As grizzly bear populations recover and expand their range into areas where they have been less common, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to learn how to live alongside them. Carrying bear spray, securing attractants, giving bears plenty of space, keeping dogs on leash, and supporting communities in becoming Bear Smart all help make coexistence possible.

So while we're Team Black Bear on this particular sighting, we'd also be pretty happy to be proven wrong.

Resources:

Who's Who? Grizzly Bear or Black Bear? Know the Difference.