At first glance, grizzly bears and polar bears appear to be very different animals.
One rules the forests and mountains, while the other dominates the icy Arctic.
However, claims have surfaced that these two species can interbreed, producing a hybrid sometimes called a “pizzly bear” or “grolar bear”.
But is such a hybrid really possible?
VERDICT:
TRUE
For decades, hunters and scientists speculated about the existence of grizzly–polar bear hybrids – until April 16, 2006, when DNA testing on a bear shot in the Arctic near Banks Island, Canada revealed it was indeed the offspring of a polar bear mother and a grizzly father.
Since then, more hybrids have been identified in the wild, with at least eight confirmed cases in the Canadian Arctic.
Physically, these hybrids often display features from both parents — a creamy coat with brown patches, a longer neck than a grizzly’s along with the humped back typical of grizzly bears along with large claws suited for both digging and walking on ice.
Their behaviour is also a blend of the two; some have been observed swimming long distances like polar bears, while others forage on land like grizzlies.
As Arctic sea ice continues to shrink, polar bears are being forced southwards in search of food, while grizzlies are ranging further north. This overlap increases the chances of encounters and mating between the two species.
Researchers expect the number of hybrids to rise as the climate warms, but warn that these bears, with their mixed traits are not well adapted to life either on the sea ice or entirely on land.
Scientists caution that while hybridisation is fascinating, it is also a sign of ecological stress.
So yes — “pizzly” or “grolar” bears are real. But their existence is less about nature’s creativity and more about the pressures humans have placed on fragile Arctic ecosystems.
SOURCES
1) Wildlife Genetics International - DNA Testing Confirms Polar/Grizzly Bear Hybrid Shot Near Banks Island
2) Journal hosting - Recent Hybridization between a Polar Bear and Grizzly Bears in the Canadian Arctic
3) The Science Times - Pizzly or Grolar: Hybrid Polar-Grizzly Bears Multiply Due to Climate Change
4) National Geographic - Grizzly-Polar Bear Hybrid Found—But What Does It Mean?
