As if Polar Bears didn’t already have enough problems, Grizzly bears have been found moving into Polar Bear breeding areas. This causes a major problem for Polar Bear cubs because they are usually born about the same time Grizzly bears wake up from hibernation.
Some speculate that in order to survive, Polar Bears and Grizzlies will merge into a hybrid. In 2006 a hunter from Idaho killed a bear on Banks Island, Northwest Territories, Canada. Wildlife Genetics International performed a DNA test on the bear and determined it to be a hybrid from a polar bear mother and a grizzly father.
Hybrids were suspected in the past. For example, in 1864, the MacFarlane’s Bear is speculated to have been a polar bear/brown bear hybrid but could not be proved because DNA testing was not available.
Photo: Polar Bear/Grizzly hibrid at Rothschild Museum, Tring
Prizzly, grolar bear, polizzly? There has yet to be consensus of how to name these hybrids. One naming convention would put the name of the sire first: the offspring of a male polar bear and a female grizzly would be a “Pizzly bear,” while the offspring of a male Grizzly and a female polar bear would be a “Grolar bear.”
Whatever they name them, there will be more in the wild from now on.
Polar bear Cartoons A blog of polar bear and friends cartoons by David M. Booth.
Polar bear Celebrities Fun facts, photos and videos about Knut, Hudson, Flocke and Wilbaer and other polar bear celebrities.
If you want to know what you can do to protect polar bears and other endangered species, contact The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) at National Wildlife Federation (NWF)
BEARS: The 8 Wonders of the World A site full of facts, stats, photos, videos, and other info on the 8 species of bear in the world!
If you want to know what you can do to protect polar bears and other endangered species, contact The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) at National Wildlife Federation (NWF)
Polar bear Cartoons A blog of polar bear and friends cartoons by David M. Booth.
Polar bear Celebrities Fun facts, photos and videos about Knut, Hudson, Flocke and Wilbaer and other polar bear celebrities.
If you want to know what you can do to protect polar bears and other endangered species, contact The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) at National Wildlife Federation (NWF)
Wildlife S.O.S. has saved the last of the dancing bears — sloth bears forced to live at the end of a 6 foot rope. Below is a short video of the history of this effort by Kardick Satyanarayan, one of the founders of Wildlife S.O.S.
This is a must see video in my mind. Please take the time to view it. Congrats Kardick and Geeta for their dedication, love and effort that made this all happen. They still need donations to support the bears in the sanctuaries where they must live the rest of their lives. Also, to save the sloth bears in the wild by stopping poachers. You can donate at Donate to save a sloth bear.
Bear hugs, Frankie
Sloth Bears Everything about Sloth bears including facts, photos and videos of Sloth bears.
BEARS: The 8 Wonders of the World A site full of facts, stats, photos, videos, and other info on the 8 species of bear in the world!
If you want to know what you can do to protect polar bears and other endangered species, contact The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) at National Wildlife Federation (NWF)
BEARS: The 8 Wonders of the World
Giant Pandas – Cute, Adorable and Endangered
Teddy Bears Galore