#1
There's no doubt we're living in a pandemic of fake news. Lies masquerading as the truth, out to get us hook, line and sinker. But among the sea of bullsh*t, there's legitimate information proving that fact is indeed sometimes stranger than fiction.
The little grolar bears, for example, might sound like made-up characters from a Disney movie. Especially since polar bears and grizzly bears come from, well, polar environments.
Polar bears are larger than their grizzly counterparts. They're native to the Arctic and are quite used to freezing temperatures. "[They] are well-adapted for life on ice with their thick, water-repellent fur and large, slightly webbed paws, which help them swim and navigate icy waters. Their diet mainly consists of seals, making them a top predator in their icy habitat," explains howstuffworks.com.
Grizzly bears, on the other hand, are found primarily in North America. "Known for their muscular shoulders and long claws, they are adept at digging and foraging, often feeding on roots, berries and fish," the site continues. "Unlike polar bears, they prefer forested or mountainous regions and hibernate during the winter."
So how on earth did these two not only manage to find each other, but to go on and make little grolar bear (or pizzly) babies?
#2
Because you don't die in a car wreck first.
The first confirmed grolar bear was identified in 2006 in the Canadian Arctic. This after a hunter called Jim Martell came across what appeared to be a polar bear - but also not quite. The animal seemed to also have some physical traits of a grizzly.
It turned out to be a hybrid of the two. In other words, the product of mating between a polar bear and a grizzly bear.
"This crossbreeding occurs when the habitats of polar and grizzly bears overlap, usually due to polar bears being pushed southward as sea ice melts, bringing them into contact with grizzlies," explains howstuffworks.com.
#4
EDIT: Laying down prevents you from falling over/hurting yourself when you're in the throes of pain, and the screaming helps cope with the pain level. Nothing else is really going to help you.
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A 2024 research report analyzed 371 historic polar bear and 440 historic grizzly bear samples from across Canada, Alaska, and Greenland. The researchers confirmed that there are only eight hybrids, or grolar bears.
"The only confirmed hybrid bears in the sample were already known to science and were all from a female polar bear born in 1989 who mated with two grizzly bears on multiple occasions and producing four offspring," the Guardian elaborated. "One of her cubs also eventually mated with the same grizzly males, producing five more 'grolars.'"
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“Polar bears evolved from grizzly bears several hundred thousand years ago and although gene flow has occurred between the two species in the past, it appears that recent hybridization is restricted to a small group of polar bears and brown bears in the western Arctic,” said the report's co-author Evan Richardson, who is a Research Scientist at Environment and Climate Change Canada.
#11
When polar bears and grizzly bears get together, their offspring should inherit traits that make them fairly adaptable in terms of where they live. But it appears this isn't the case.
According to Richardson, grolar bears are unlikely to be better adapted to the changing Arctic environment. The expert says that these hybrids may not be well-suited for life on either land or sea, making them less effective than polar or brown bears.
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Grolar bears face unique challenges, notes howstuffworks.com. "They are not as specialized as either parent species; polar bears are expert hunters of seals, and grizzlies have perfected foraging and hunting on land. As such, grolar bears must adapt to a variety of food sources and environments to survive," explains the site.
Grolars have been spotted foraging for food on land, eating plants and small mammals. And researchers believe they might have inherited the grizzly's more adaptable diet.
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"The long-term viability of grolar bears in the wild is still unknown," adds howstuffworks.com. "As climate change continues to reshape the Arctic and the habitats of polar and grizzly bears overlap even more, these hybrid bears could become more common."
A separate study published in 2024 warned that changing sea ice conditions are making it harder for polar bears to survive in their existing habitats. It warned that one community of polar bears in Hudson Bay could die out within a decade if the thinning sea ice can no longer bear their weight.
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