New Mixed-Breed Bear Species Discovered—Meet The Pizzly!

The Arctic has been home to strange-looking bears for some time, but it wasn’t until 2010 that David Kuptana of Victoria Island encountered one. Its unusual characteristics made it clear that this was not a regular polar bear, leaving scientists to wonder what it was precisely and how it got there.

The remote island of Victoria in the Canadian North, located along the Arctic Circle, is no stranger to icy cold temperatures and long winter nights. Despite being the ninth-largest island in the world, it has a population of just 2,000 people, one of them being David Kuptana. 

For northern natives, relationships with polar bears is much more than what people see in photographs or at a zoo. Not only are they hunted for their meat, but their fur is used to line clothing for this frigid climate, including boots and pants. 

David was born in the remote coastal community of Ulukhaktok, a village with only a few hundred inhabitants far north of Montana. Ulukhaktok is situated along the Northwest Passage, the northern sea route that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. 

Kuptana has been a long-time hunter in the Ulukhaktok community. On one particular hunting trip, he and his wife set out as they routinely did, driving their snowmobiles to an island cabin. Little did they know, this trip would be unlike any other. 

David and his wife’s trip got off to a rocky start. Upon arriving at the cabin, it was obvious that it had been broken into by an animal scavenging for food. Out of luck, they continued on to the next cabin, only to find that it had been ransacked, too! 

David and his wife were no strangers to moving around. After encountering five cabins that had been broken into by a mysterious intruder, they decided it was time to look elsewhere for shelter. But, when they arrived at the sixth cabin, they were met with an unexpected surprise. 

Polar bears are some of the most resilient creatures on Earth, living in the frigid conditions of the Arctic. These majestic beasts depend on the sea ice for hunting seals, their main prey. But as the climate warms and the ice caps melt, polar bears are forced to wander onto land and rely on their fat reserves for sustenance. 

As temperatures continue to rise, grizzlies in northern Canada also face a challenge—their habitats are changing and their food supply is becoming scarce. The grizzlies, who have traditionally stuck to the mainland subarctic forests and tundras, must now consider a move if they are to survive. 

Both species are migrating as the climate crisis intensifies. Polar bears are now spending more time on the mainland and grizzlies are making their way up north. After hibernation, the male grizzlies go across the ice in search of food, while the females remain stationary. 

Grizzlies and polar bears are two of nature’s most fascinating animals, each perfectly adapted to their own habitats. But what will happen if they begin to cross paths and breed with each other? Well, imagine a bear with a boxy head, fur-covered feet, and a beautiful coat of white and brown fur—that’s right, the “pizzly” bear! 

David and his wife were taken aback when they stumbled across the unusual bear at the sixth cabin they entered. Its blonde fur, dark paws and eyes were a strange sight. With these features, it wasn’t a polar bear, but it was still a wild bear. 

David was on a mission when he shot the strange looking bear and took it to the local government office. He’d never seen a grizzly before, so he was surprised when the officer inspected the animal and declared it was neither a polar or a grizzly bear. 

When the officer from the Ulukhaktok community reported the possible hybrid bear, the government took action. They sent the animal’s DNA for testing, and the results were astounding. It turned out that 20 of these bears had been bred in captivity, and two of them, named Tips and Taps, were living at Zoo Osnabrück in Germany. 

Back in 2006, an incredible discovery was made on Banks Island, Northern Territories, Canada. A hunter spotted a wild hybrid bear, which was later confirmed to be part polar bear and part grizzly! It was a remarkable find, as people had been talking about bears of unusual color living close to the polar bear territory for some time but there had never been any DNA testing to confirm what they were. 

Then in 2016, a hunter in Arviat, Canada again discovered something extraordinary: a hybrid of two species of bear. This was a remarkable discovery, especially since it was previously believed that bears of different species could not interbreed. 

A remarkable feat of evolution is the hybridization of two bear species – polar and grizzly – to form the pizzly bear. Scientists believe that this mix of two species was nature’s way of adapting to the change in northern temperatures. The pizzly bear is a unique creature possessing traits of both its parent species, such as long claws and somewhat hairy feet. 

So when David’s community encountered a mysterious bear, government officials suspected it was a simple hybrid. But the DNA results were even more astonishing—the mother was a pizzly and the father was a grizzly!

Thousands of years ago, grizzlies and polar bears had already found their way to each other’s hearts! Though they were once thought to be two distinct species, recent findings have shown that they have been sharing their DNA with each other since time immemorial. 

It was 2017 when the extraordinary tale of Mama Polar Bear 10960 began to unfold. After extensive DNA testing, it was revealed that all wild pizzly bears could be traced back to one specific mama: 10960. But what made her story so peculiar was that she had mated with two separate grizzlies, having a total of three litters with only one to three cubs in each. 

Polar bear 10960 has made an incredible mark on the scientific community with her one-of-a-kind mating rutual. Scientists aren’t entirely sure why her mating choice was grizzly bears, however, when female polar bears are ready to mate, their feet give off a strong smell. 

Scientists were surprised when they learned that all pizzlies are part of one family. An investigative journey into the family tree of the species led to a shocking discovery: the daughter of polar bear 10960 mated with the same two grizzly bears as her mother, making them the grand-bears of the species. 

The pizzly has distinct characteristics that make it stand out from its parent species. Instead of getting the best of both worlds, they are unsuitable for either of their parent species’ environments.

Very little is known about the personalities of wild hybrids, which is why researchers are looking to Tips and Taps for answers. Both the German hybrids were born in captivity, however, their playtime activities seemed to mimic that of their wild polar bear father. When playing, the pair likes to stomp on their toys.

Scientists are still trying to figure out why there are so few hybrid polar bears in the wild. One explanation is that female grizzlies tend to stay in their territories while males go off in search of food, making it difficult for them to meet. Additionally, male polar bears are often hunted more than females, depleting their population

From the icy tundra of the Arctic to the warm forests of the Rockies, nature has blessed us with this unique hybrid bear. Also known as a “grizzlar,” it usually has a pizzly mother, making it more grizzly than polar bear. 

Tips and Taps showed that hybrids can be more aggressive than either parent. While polar bears are typically seen as more aggressive than grizzlies, the hybrid’s temperament is often worse than both species. 

Residents of David’s community were in a heated debate over what to do with the recently discovered hybrid species on Victoria Island. Some wanted to hunt the grizzlies and hybrids off the island and others wanted to leave them be.