Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

JStroud · Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 12:49 pm Post subject: Grizzly x Polar Bear

Its finally been recorded for the first time in the wild Shocked

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4766217.stm

Hybrid bear shot dead in Canada

There have long been stories about mysterious crossbreeds

Enlarge Image
A white bear with brown patches shot dead in northern Canada is the first grizzly-polar hybrid found in the wild, DNA tests have confirmed.

Canadian wildlife officials say it is the offspring of a male grizzly bear and a female polar bear.

There have long been stories of oddly coloured bears living in regions where the two territories overlap.

But until now, grizzly-polar hybrids, dubbed "grolar bears" or "pizzlies", have been found only in zoos.

The hybrid bear was shot last month by an American big game hunter on Banks Island, Northwest Territory, Canada.

His guide, Roger Kuptana, noticed the creature had the long claws and slightly humped back of a grizzly bear and thought it might be a hybrid.

The body was seized by officials, who sent a DNA sample for tests which confirmed its unusual origins.

There are behavioural differences between the species, including timing of mating seasons, that make hybrids highly unusual
David Field, Zoological Society of London

"It's something we've all known was theoretically possible because their habitats overlap a little bit and their breeding seasons overlap a little bit," said Ian Stirling, a biologist at the Canadian Wildlife Service in Edmonton.

"It's the first time it's known to have happened in the wild."

Nanulak bear

Polar and grizzly bears have been bred together in zoos, but in the wild they rarely cross paths.

However, some grizzly bears have been seen venturing across the ice towards polar bear territory to search for food after emerging from hibernation. This might explain how the rare union occurred.

"In the limited area where the two species' ranges overlap, it is not entirely surprising that we might find a polar-grizzly hybrid," said David Field, Zoological Director of the Zoological Society of London.

"However, there are behavioural differences between the species, including timing of mating seasons, that make such hybrids highly unusual and it is unlikely that any resultant offspring would be viable."

Canadian wildlife officials are now thinking up a name for the creature. Some of the suggestions they have come up with so far are "pizzly", "grolar bear" or "nanulak", after the Inuit names for polar bear (nanuk) and grizzly bear (aklak).
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Regards James Stroud

Rickeezee · Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 12:54 pm Post subject:

Do you think this is genuine?
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JStroud · Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 1:38 pm Post subject:

This hybrid has occured in zoo's before, a bit old school like most of these projects and is rarely seen now. Bear husbandry was never really appreciated, especially polar bears, and so multiple species used to be housed together. I've got no reason to think this isn't genuine, however an adult animal with brown patches would surely hinder any sort of predation qualities against the snow? Would like to read the paper if one gets written on its DNA analysis but certainly does seem like a very rare unusual occurance...shame it was big game hunters that found it Rolling Eyes

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Regards James Stroud

Rickeezee · Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 1:55 pm Post subject:

Interesting, shame it had to be shot before it was discovered!
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JStroud · Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 1:59 pm Post subject:

To be honest it was probably best it was shot before attempting to breed (if it hadn't started already) but then again more then likely it wouldn't have been sterile... Cool

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Regards James Stroud

JStroud · Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 2:04 pm Post subject:

Another thought, relying on its truth, would be to look at its digestive system. With Grizzlies being predominately omnivorous and Polar Bears carnivorous it'd be interesting to see to which side this bear leant to Confused

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Regards James Stroud

Fixx · Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 5:36 pm Post subject:

Gazz · Contributing Member Joined: 13 Dec 2005 Posts: 151

Gazz · Contributing Member Joined: 13 Dec 2005 Posts: 151

JStroud · Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 2:44 am Post subject:

Gazz: I know that imprinting plays a major role but whatever their mum taught them to eat, in this case it being a female polar bear which as I said is carnivorous, if it maintained the digestived system of a grizzly it would need vegetation for it to survive. However if it solely complied with the mother in no way would it live to be this mature....that's what I find intriguing! Cool

With regards to it being shot, I was saying that on the basis that...even though it was a naturally occurring hybrid and yes mother nature did 'produce' this, if this bear did manage to breed it would severely alter the blood pools of either the grizzly or the polar bear populations. However if these bears are so easy to interbreed one may argue that the effects of this would be minimal. Personally I'd just try to keep things simple but no one can be sure to be right because no ones known (no ones recorded scientifically Wink

) if this has happened before Wink

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Regards James Stroud