Contact Us
Email: info@pacificwild.org
Phone: 250-380-0547
Main Office
1529 Amelia Street, Victoria, BC
Lək̓ʷəŋən Territory
V8W 2K1
Field Office
P.O. Box 26
Denny Island, BC
Haíɫzaqv Territory
V0T 1B0
🎄✨ Step into a botanical wonderland this holiday season at the VanDusen Festival of Lights in Vancouver, British Columbia—and find Pacific Wild there!
Photos by Pacific Wild`s co-founder are featured as part of the new Great Bear Rainforest Exhibit at VanDusen Festival of Lights. We’re thrilled to be part of this magical celebration marking 40 years of light and wonder. Explore 15 acres of dazzling displays, including the interactive wood-wide web mycelium installation and a stunning salmon run, inspired by B.C.`s Great Bear Rainforest.
Experience the beauty of nature in the heart of the city and learn how you can help protect the wildlife and habitats that make B.C. so special. 💚
📅 Don’t miss it—VanDusen Festival of Lights is shining bright now through the holiday season until January 5, 2025!
📸 @vandusengarden and Brett Ryan Studios & @iantmcallister
#GreatBearRainforest #VanDusenGardens #WildlifeConservation
❄️ Beneath the icy surface of frozen ponds, painted turtles are in their winter hideaway! 🐢 Eggs hatch in late August to September, but hatchlings stay buried in their mud nests over fall and winter, only emerging in the spring.
Unlike most reptiles, they can survive months without oxygen, slowing their heart rates and relying on stored energy to endure the cold. These cold-weather champions even absorb oxygen through their skin while submerged! 🌬️
The pacific coast population of painted turtles is listed as endangered. As the snow falls over some parts of British Columbia, let’s celebrate the resilience of Canada’s only native freshwater turtle and work to protect their wetland habitats year-round. 💙
📸 @brendonbissonnette
#PaintedTurtle #EndangeredSpecies #WildlifeConservation
🐺🎁 Wolves are the ultimate gift givers to scavenging species.
At least 12 species (including ravens, eagles, coyotes, and bears) have been observed to rely on wolf kills for food in Yellowstone National Park, especially during winter. With fewer elk dying from harsh weather as the climate changes, wolves are providing a crucial, reliable source of carrion, helping these species survive and thrive.
By maintaining this natural food cycle, wolves are buffering climate impacts, allowing scavengers to adjust over time. What a gift to give!
📸 Ken Canning via Canva Creative Commons
🦌 Did you know that Santa’s reindeer (also known as caribou) are likely all female? Both male and female caribou grow antlers, but they shed those antlers at different times of year. Males typically lose their antlers in late fall and remain “antlerless” until the following spring. In contrast, females typically retain their antlers throughout the winter, shedding them only after giving birth to their calves in the spring. That means, female caribou are typically the only ones with antlers over the holiday season! Dasher, Donner, Dancer… Rudolph — are all likely female!
Woodland caribou (southern mountain caribou) are listed as threatened or endangered in many places in Canada, including British Columbia. Caribou rely on old growth forests for vital habitat and sources of food. Unfortunately this critical habitat continues to be destroyed and fragmented by extractive industries at an alarming rate. Now, more than ever, preserving Canada’s remaining old growth forests and working to restore those that have been lost is of utmost importance for the continued survival of caribou and Canadian wildlife.
Visit Pacificwild.org to learn more about this issue.
📸 @pacificimagery_
#WildlifeConservation #EndangeredSpecies #Caribou #SaveBCWolves #CariboutWolves
❄️ Winter means hibernation for Vancouver Island Marmots!
Vancouver Island Marmots are Canada`s most endangered endemic mammal and one of the rarest mammals in the world. Thanks to recovery efforts, these remarkable rodents have come back from the brink! By 2003, fewer than 30 wild marmots roamed our mountain sides. Today, it is estimated that there are around 300 individuals in the wild.
💤 Marmots avoid the harsh subalpine winter— when food is scarce— by hibernating an average of 210 days of the year. If these guys were in charge of Groundhog Day, winter would never end!
During hibernation the marmot’s heartbeat slows to 3 or 4 beats per minute compared to an average range of 110-200 beats per minute when they are active. Radio-telemetry suggests that family groups cozy up together in a special deep burrow called a hibernaculum, which they return to year after year. Talk about the ultimate family tradition!
📸by @ryantidman via @cangeo. 🖌️by @elenamarkelova_art
#WildlifeConservation #VancouverIslandMarmot #EndangeredSpecies #SpeciesAtRisk
❄️ Canada has more than one white-coloured bear, and they sometimes get confused. Spirit bears are black bears with a rare genetic mutation making their fur white in colour and they are only found in the Great Bear Rainforest on the western coast of Canada, while Polar bears are a different species and live in the Canadian Arctic.
In winter, spirit bears like other black bears, will hibernate. Bears may return to the same dens year after year, especially if the site proved successful in past winters. Cubs are born while females are denning. When we protect bear dens and their surrounding habitats, we’re safeguarding a crucial part of their life cycle—ensuring they have a safe space to give birth, raise their young, and hibernate in peace.
While spirit bears snooze in the winter, our coldest season is prime time for polar bears!
With the return of sea ice, these Arctic giants get the perfect hunting grounds to catch their favorite prey— seals. Unlike the leaner summer months when melting ice limits their range, winter’s frozen expanses give them the upper paw. The sea ice acts like a hunting highway, allowing them to roam far and wide in search of food.
Every successful hunt helps polar bears build up the energy reserves they need to thrive in one of the planet’s harshest environments. 🧊🐾
📸 by @iantmcallister and @rtia
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