Experts believe that the polar bears are traveling south to escape the effects of global warming while the grizzly bears are moving northward thus leading to the creation of a new species: grizzly-polar bear hybrid. DNA samples taken from the hybrid that Jim Martell shot and killed in 2006 proved the first hybrid case in the wild. The hybrid is similar in appearance to its parents. It is smaller than a polar bear but larger than a grizzly bear. Furthermore, the hybrids’ hair and feet are a blend of both. However, the hybrid has not been given an official name, suggestions include: the Grolar Bear, the Pizzly Bear or the Nanulak.
Photo credit: Stefan David
