A Kermode bear cub huddling with its sibling in Canada's Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia

© Ian McAllister/Offse

Brotherly cubs

They’re very cute but we’re betting these two Kermode bear siblings are a handful (hang in there, mum!). Kermode bears are a subspecies of the American black bear but they have a recessive gene which sometimes results in cream or white fur. While most Kermode bears are black, scientists estimate that between 10 and 20 per cent of the population have ivory coats. Known as ‘spirit bears’, they are special to indigenous people of the British Columbia coastal regions in Canada where they live. They’re with us today for Siblings Day, a US tradition which celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters.