Laaya, The Spirit Bear
Great Bear Rainforest
Laaya, the Spirit Bear, I had able to observe for two days, keeps a wary eye on another bear, a black bear on the other side of the stream. She seemed relaxed but always kept a watchful eye on any other bears in the area. Bears take subtle queues from other fellow bears as well as us humans. The more relaxed we were the more they followed suit. Even positive anxiety, our excitement, seemed to cause them anxiety. Relaxation and slow, subtle movements were key. Laaya's name translates to "high bush cranberry". Photo © copyright by Joe Luedtke.