White bear on the Junjik River

Observation by Laura Grage:

A completely white bear spotted in the willows on the Junjik River on the South side of the Brooks range. Too far away to tell too much about size of bear and could have been a very blond grizzly, but it appeared very white with and without binoculars. I don't want to jump to any conclusion about a polar bear, but has anyone else seen a white or albino grizzly in the this area?

Comments from LEO Editors:

In an Alaska Fish and Wildlife News article, author Riley Woodford describes the variety of colors that black and brown bears wear. He writes that hair color is determined by genetics, and that unusual white coloration in bears could be caused by a recessive gene given to the cub from both parents. According to Fish and Game researcher LaVerne Beier, color variations can be seen in regional bear populations. In the Interior, Nome, and around the Brooks Range, lighter colored bears can be pretty common, however this is the first observation of a white bear submitted to LEO.