Uh oh.. Look out Polar Bears.. Company's coming

[SoCalDem]

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/02/100226-grizzly-bears-polar-bears-hybrid-canada/




A grizzly bear walks along the water's edge.
After rebounding from years of intense hunting, male grizzly bears are exploring new Canadian territories, a new study says (file photo).

Photograph by Norbert Rosing, National Geographic Stock

Anne Casselman

for National Geographic News

Published February 26, 2010

There may now be two kings of the Canadian tundra—grizzly bears sightings are on the rise in the polar bear capital of the world, a new study says. The preliminary report notes an increase in grizzly bear sightings in Wapusk National Park, just south of Churchill, Manitoba. Ten grizzlies have been seen in the park between 1996 and 2009 in an area where grizzlies have never been observed before, researchers say. Four of the large bears were sighted in the summer of 2009.

It's unclear whether a viable population of grizzlies has established in the park, as males are known to disperse great distances from their home territories in northern Canada. Experts also aren't sure what's causing the influx of bears, but it's more likely due to reduced hunting pressure than global warming.


"There's been a real upswing in numbers," said study leader Robert Rockwell, a population ecologist at the City University of New York. "We wanted to make the point that this is a new top-end carnivore on the scene."

Grizzly vs. Polar Bear

But speculation about grizzly-polar bear conflicts may be moot, since few polar bears will likely inhabit the northeastern corner of Manitoba—where the grizzlies were seen—by the end of the century. That's because the polar bears will follow Arctic sea ice as it retreats farther north. "It's unlikely that we will still have polar bears in Wapusk National Park by the end of the century, given the current patterns of sea ice loss in Hudson Bay," said Andrew Derocher, a polar bear biologist at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada.

A recently published model shows sea ice retreating from the area by the year 2050, which will lead to a decline in polar bears, he added. (See pictures of a warming Arctic.)

snip

[Prometheus Bound]

1. I can't imagine a grizzly-polar bear conflict

The polar bear is bigger and the grizzly is faster, so I suppose the grizzly would keep at quite a distance.

I'd be interested in seeing what a pizzly or grolar bear looks like.

[Altoid_Cyclist]

2. This is a picture of one that was killed by hunters.

A picture of a live one would probably be a better indicator of what the true appearance looks like, but this is the best that I could find.


http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/05/bear-hybrid-photo.html

Stuffed Pizzly Bear and article.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grizzly%E2%80%93polar_bear_hybrid

[Prometheus Bound]

3. The one in Nat Geog seems to have panda-style eyes.

Thanks.

[Altoid_Cyclist]

4. I never noticed that until you pointed it out.

Thanks for mentioning that.

:hi:

[Altoid_Cyclist]

5. Sorry SoCalDem, I missed the fact that you had the same link to the picture.

I didn't mean to plagarize part of your OP.

Too much on what's left of my mind I guess.