Polar Bear Affair

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The grizzly polar bear is a rare hybrid species of the native polar bear and the grizzly bear. This breed can be found in the wild as well as confined in sanctuaries and zoological parks. This type of polar bear was confirmed to exist with a DNA test of a different looking polar bear, which was found shot dead in the Canadian Arctic region. However, the DNA techniques to trace back the grizzly polar bear’s ancestry are not accessible. These hybrid bears have known to be hunted and shot down even in the past for food and other commercial purposes.

While there was evidence of one existing grizzly polar bear, many sightings in the wild have been reported. Zoologists have been trying to figure out how this wild hybrid of polar bear came into existence. The two species of polar bears, the result of which is the grizzly polar bear though are similar in genetics and habituate in the same geographical territory, they have been known to avoid each other in the free natural habitat. These two species also pervade ecological niches which are different.

These grizzly polar bears, unlike the native polar bears, are inclined to live and also breed on land. While the native polar bears live in and around water most of their lives and prefer to breed on ice.

While the replica of a grizzly bear was hunted and shot down in the year 2006, it was assumed by the hunter that it was a normal bred polar bear. When the incident was reported to the forest officials, they took keen interest in the dead mammal found. They discovered that the features were very distinct from that of normal bears. It had creamy white fur similar to the typical bears but also had lengthy claws, shallow face, patches of brown skin around the eyes, and humped back. These features are distinct to the grizzly bear. However, this bear was not proved to be a grizzly bear.

The hunting of these rare grizzly polar bears will lead to a fine of CAN$ 1,000 and almost a year of imprisonment. This polar bear was traced to be a cross breed of a grizzly father and polar bear mother. Though there were similar cases found in zoos, this was the first of its kind to be found in the wild and hence was documented.

The characteristic features of this grizzly polar bear resemble that of an in-between of the polar bear and the grizzly bear. While the bodies of the hybrid species are smaller than polar bears, they are bigger than that of grizzly bears. Even the size of their heads lies in between the large heads of grizzly bears and small heads of polar bears. As the soles of the polar bears are covered completely with fur (which acts as insulators against the cold), the grizzly polar bears have partially fur covered soles, while the grizzly bears have furless soles.

The behavior pattern of these hybrids resemble more to that of polar bears as compared to grizzly bears. They have foot movements similar to that of a polar bear breaking an ice-berg.

Endangered polar bears – is it really true?

Polar bears are the biggest species of bears and they weigh almost 400 pounds more than other species. They like to be alone. The cubs of polar bears when born are quite petite. So, it’s amazing that an adult fully grown bear weighs 1100 pounds. They also don’t drink water and derive it from their food. The skin of the polar bear is covered with white fur. But it’s not white. It’s without any color and consists of hollow tubes that imbibe light reflecting it to make it appear white. Polar bears also like to meat from dead animals and humans if it’s available.

Yes it’s true that today polar bears are facing extinction. Although polar bears have been included in an endangered species list of an act of such animals in 1973, the US government has reconsidered its decision and included them in the threatened category under the same act on May 14, 2008. The reasons why polar bears have become endangered are many. This has happened as the natural habitat of the polar bears, Arctic Sea has started melting. Although the US government has decided to develop a plan to prevent this extinction, it is also thinking about exploring melted arctic waters for oil and gas which are the main cause behind this change. The established oil and gas industries in this region have caused pollution resulting in a melting of the frozen seas.

The endangered polar bears will cease from the face of earth within a period of 45 years if nothing is done about it.  Global warming is also one of the reasons due to which polar bears have been forced to face such an outcome. This is because the Arctic Ice has also melted due to a rise in the temperatures caused by global warming. The population of polar bears has faced a reduction by 15% in the last 10 years. Their fasting period which exists in summers has also increased by 3 weeks since the period of 1970’s. Fasting period just refers to the time during which they wait for the formation of ice so that they can hunt for seals, their food. But, now due to global warming, a lot of time lapses since ice formation happens. Lack of snow and hence seals in the arctic region forced many polar bears to cover long distances and they drowned in doing so. This happened in the northern Alaska region. Scientists have noted that the continuance of global warming trends in arctic will lead to the extinction of the 2/3^rd s population of this animal by 2050.

Global warming has also resulted in the death of other animals apart from seals in the arctic region which has depleted all the natural food reserves for polar bears. The only animals now surviving in arctic are the polar bears themselves but they can’t hunt their own kind just to live.

Another cause for this death of polar bears is human hunting. Humans have been using polar bear fur for decades now.