Black Bear (Ursus americanus)
2018
24” h x 36” w
Collage and oil paint on canvas
$3,800 CAN (Shipping within Canada, packaging and frame included) International shipping extra.
Black bears are everywhere during the fall salmon run in Tahsis on Vancouver Island’s west coast. At dawn and dusk, dozens of bears emerge from the forest to feed on the salmon buffet. Don’t be fooled by their calm demeanor—the aggressive territorial markings on the trees paint a very different picture. The Vancouver Island black bear does not have any known predators, except during hunting season; when up to 700 bears can be taken. The bears have a unique role in the ecosystem, because they carry the salmon away from the streams and into the forest. As a result, the salmon carcasses provide essential nutrients to the trees, insects, and birds that live in the riparian zone.
