What is a Grolar Bear?
Grolar bear is a hybrid animal which is born as a result of inbreeding between a grizzly bear and polar bear. It is also called pizzly bear or nanulak. It is not a subspecies of a bear. The polar bear and grizzly bear hybrid is extremely rare in the wild. Scientists confirmed the grolar bear in 2006 by testing the DNA of an individual bear which was shot in the Canadian Arctic, Sachs Harbor.
We do not know for sure if there are any grolar bears living in the wild. However scientists do believe that since both polar bear and grizzly bear live under the same habitat conditions and their range often overlaps, chances are that there might still be grolar bear in the wild. Nonetheless, polar bears and grizzly bears will probably avoid each other in the natural habitat.
One of the mysterious bears was seen in 1864 which looked exactly like a grolar bear. It appeared yellowish-white in color.
According to scientists, polar bears have lately been pushed southward by melting of the ice cap—indeed bringing them closer (ever than before) to grizzly bears.
Grizzly Polar Bear Characteristics
- Grolar bear is primarily recognized by its creamy white fur which is a polar bear’s trait. Like grizzly bear, the grolar bear displays brown patches around its eyes, foot, and back.
- The grolar bear also possesses long sharp claws—an adaptation of a grizzly bear.
Grolar Bear Cub
- Two grolar bears were born in Osnabruck Zoo, Germany in 2004. One of them was a male while the other a female. The grolar bear cubs had smaller bodies as compared to polar bear cubs but they were bigger than the grizzly bear cubs.
- The grolar bear cubs had slightly leaner head resembling polar bear’s and it has marginally broader head like grizzly bear.
- Grolar bear cubs have small shoulder humps like grizzly bears. They have long necks similar to the polar bear’s neck.
- Unlike polar bears, the grolar bear cubs have got feet only partially covered with hairs. Grizzlies do not have hairs on their soles.
- The grolar bear’s hairs are also slightly hollow but they are probably not as hollow as polar bear’s hairs which are due to the grizzly bear’s trait.
- The grolar bear’s back hairs are fairly hollow whereas the paw hairs are solid just like grizzlies.
- The overall behavior of a grolar bear is closer to the polar bear’s behavior rather than grizzly’s behavior.
- Grolar bears also resemble polar bears in lying-down posture. Their bellies touch the ground while their rear legs are splayed.
