Queen Prawn Posted May 11, 2006 Share Posted May 11, 2006 Updated: 10:10 a.m. ET May 11, 2006 IQALUIT, Nunavut - Northern hunters, scientists and people with vivid imaginations have discussed the possibility for years. But Roger Kuptana, a guide from Canada’s Sachs Harbor was the first to suspect it had actually happened when he proposed that a strange-looking bear shot last month by an American sports hunter might be half polar bear, half grizzly. Officials seized the creature after noticing its white fur was scattered with brown patches and that it had the long claws and humped back of a grizzly. Now a DNA test has confirmed that it is indeed a hybrid — possibly the first documented in the wild. "We've known it's possible, but actually most of us never thought it would happen," said Ian Stirling, a polar bear biologist with the Canadian Wildlife Service in Edmonton. Polar bears and grizzlies have been successfully paired in zoos before — Stirling could not speculate why — and their offspring are fertile. Breeding seasons for the two species overlap, though polar bear gets started slightly earlier. Polar bear and grizzly territory also overlap in the Western Arctic around the Beaufort Sea, where the occasional grizzly is known to head onto the sea ice looking for food after emerging from hibernation. More at link... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlaSoxxJim Posted May 11, 2006 Share Posted May 11, 2006 Cool discovery. $50K to kill a polar bear?!? No thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted May 11, 2006 Share Posted May 11, 2006 And the #1 threat in America...BEARS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilliamTell Posted May 11, 2006 Share Posted May 11, 2006 I saw this, that's just plain crazy. I wonder if there are more out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyyle23 Posted May 11, 2006 Share Posted May 11, 2006 Too bad we couldnt see what it looked like when it was alive. You know, when it wasnt paying attention when the hunter sneaked up on it and blew it away with a bullet the length of my hand..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 We're surprised that some guy would nail a chick no matter what she looed like? Maybe they were drunk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsideirish71 Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 Too bad the hunters never caught Manbearpig. Now that is something to have a story about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witesoxfan Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ May 12, 2006 -> 10:53 AM) Too bad the hunters never caught Manbearpig. Now that is something to have a story about. IM SUPER DOOPER CEREAL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_genius Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 half shark alligator half man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard Zelig Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 Why are they killing bears? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilliamTell Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 QUOTE(Leonard Zelig @ May 12, 2006 -> 06:49 PM) Why are they killing bears? I wondered that too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleepyWhiteSox Posted May 13, 2006 Share Posted May 13, 2006 Once you go grizzly... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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