Grolar bear hybrids in N.W.T. all traced back to same 'strange' female polar bear
A recently-published study examined samples from more than 800 polar bears and grizzlies in Canada, Alaska and Greenland. To researchers' surprise, a family of bears in the N.W.T. were the only hybrids detected — meaning hybridization is rare. But it is expected to happen more often.
![Grolar bear hybrids in N.W.T. all traced back to same 'strange' female polar bear](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7239863.1718820252!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/hybrid-bear.jpg)
![A photo of a hybrid bear spotted during a monitoring flight in the western Arctic in 2012. Polar bear researcher Evan Richardson believes it's bear X15718, a female hybrid who mated with grizzlies and went on to have four known second-generation hybrid offspring of her own. However, since the bear in the photo wasn't captured and sampled, Richardson doesn't have DNA evidence to be absolutely sure. A bear that appears to be a light brown colour, with dark spots around her eyes and a darker brown stripe running down her back](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7239863.1718820252!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/hybrid-bear.jpg)
A recently-published study examined samples from more than 800 polar bears and grizzlies in Canada, Alaska and Greenland. To researchers' surprise, a family of bears in the N.W.T. were the only hybrids detected — meaning hybridization is rare. But it is expected to happen more often.