Bear I.D (1 Viewer)

[Timbirder3]

Going through some old photos I found two of a bear taken in Banff National Park back in 1998. The photos are poor, taken with a no zoom point-and shoot and the scans I've taken just make them worse but if anyone can suggest which species I would be grateful. I can't decide if they are Brown/Grizzly or a Cinnamon coloured Black Bear.
Thanks
Tim

 

[THE_FERN]

I'm no expert but the build looks better for grizzly to me (e.g. massive body, relatively short legs)

 

[Farnboro John]

I'm also no expert though I have seen both bear species. This one doesn't seem to have much of a shoulder hump which is supposed to be a good feature for Grizzly. It's not that Black Bears don't have shoulders, but on a Grizzly the hump should be prominent in any pose.

My guess is cinnamon Black Bear.

John

 

[Timbirder3]

Thanks for your thoughts guys. When I saw this many years ago I thought it was probably a cinnamon Black Bear, but when I found these pictures during a loft clearout I got the impression of a shoulder hump, which seemed to point to Grizzly Bear. After looking at several sources on the internet (Including this site: Grizzly vs Black Bear | Know the Difference - BearSmart.com )my conclusion is that my initial identification was probably correct, based on two features: The rump is higher than the shoulder and the ears are quite prominent. Both these point towards Black rather than Grizzly Bear. I think the apparent shoulder hump in the photos is due to the way the bear is holding its head.