While British Colombia is the home of rare Kermode bear, the tour guide Kathy Jenkins, the one who first spotted the adorable cub initially thought it's a spirit bear – as the Kermode bears are known among the local communities. But it turned out he was wrong.

Unlike to the white spirit bear, the cub spotted on Whistler-Blackcomb mountain appear to have a unique skin pigmentation and a pink nose. All identified Kermode bears (it's estimated to be less than 400 in the world; all living on the islands of Gribbell, B.C.) have black noses. The five-month-old bear was spotted alongside its mom which a black bear. "It's not white, its got a caramel, light, sort of brownish sheen to its fur," Arthur De Jong, environmental planning manager for Whistler-Blackcomb told CBC News. "I've repeatedly heard from various bear experts that its (fur) colour is the result of recessive genes from both parents. The mom is very much a black bear."

On the other hand, De Jong expressed his concerns regarding the cub's survival chances. "It may not be with us in the next few weeks," he said. "Cubs have about a 50 per cent chance of survival in year one. It's a rough life."

Michale Allen, a bear expert said he never seen anything like this in 23 years since he's researching in the Whistler mountain. "I have seen cubs ranging [from] black, reddish-brown, chocolate-brown to blonde,"he said." [However] I have never seen in this population, a cub with pelage this light to almost white. "