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Grolar bear Facts

Grolar bear Facts
Grolar bear is a hybrid species of bear, created by interbreeding of grizzly bear and polar bear. As a result of global climate changes and melting of the ice on the polar caps, geographic distribution of grizzly bears and polar bears starts to overlap. Polar bears and grizzly bears often encounter each other on the boarder of tundra and sea on the Alaska and in the northern parts of Canada today. When they meet each other during the mating season, two species interbreed and create hybrids known as grolar bears or pizzly bears. First grolar bear has been observed in the wild in 2006. Even though many grolar bears could have been born since that time, only three cases have been scientifically proven (via DNA testing).
Interesting Grolar bear Facts:
Grolar bear can reach 40 to 60 inches in height, 78 to 120 inches in length and 400 to 1.500 pounds of weight.
Grolar bear is slightly smaller than a polar bear, but much better adapted to the warmer climate compared with it.
Grolar bear has thick, creamy-white fur with brown patches around eyes, on the legs and paws.
Grolar bear has wide face, long neck, hump on the shoulders, strong body and large claws on the feet. Its soles are partially hairy.
Grolar bear has the same hunting technique like polar bear. It breaks the ice with its feet to find its favorite food - seals.
Captive grolar bear hurls toys to the side, the same way polar bear hurls its prey.
Grolar bear is weaker swimmer compared with polar bears. It is clumsy on the ice due to long claws.
Grolar bear rests on its stomach with widely spread hind legs (like polar bear).
Mating season of grizzly bears takes place from April to June, while polar bears mate from May to July. Since mating season of these two species overlap, they can easily hybridize in the wild.
Grizzly bear and polar bear also mate and produce fertile offspring in the captivity.
Polar bear and grizzly bear evolved from the same ancestor 150.000 years ago. Same number of chromosomes (74) and great genetic similarity ensure production of fertile offspring.
Hybrids created by mixing male polar bear with female grizzly are sometimes called "pizzly bear", while hybrids created by mixing male grizzly with female polar bear are better known as "grolar bear".
Grolar bear is also known as "nanulak". Name is mixture of Inuit words for polar bear - "nanuk" and grizzly bear - "aklak".
Increased number of grolar bears in the wild can accelerate extinction of the polar bears due to decrease in the number of genetically pure polar bears.
Grizzly bears are protected in Canada and hunters may encounter problems with law when they kill grolar bear by mistake.


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