'Ready to strike'
Vancouver Island Black Bear - Ursus americanus vancouveri Northern Vancouver Island, BC
Bears have better eyesight and sense of hearing than humans do and unlike many mammals, they can see in color. Not surprisingly, the nose is the most sensitive part on a bear's body. They are thought to have the best sense of smell of any animal on earth, 7 times better than a blood hound's or 2,100 times better than a human. A bear’s sense of smell is so acute that they can detect animal carcasses upwind and from a distance of 32 km (20 miles) away.