MAN SPOTS A STRANGE ANIMAL IN THE POLAR REGION,LATER DISCOVERS THE REASON BEHIND ITS UNUSUAL ORIGIN

 

What would you do if you spot a strange looking animal in the middle of nowhere? In 2010, an Inuit man spotted a weird looking creature. He didn’t move or do anything when he came across the animal, as he had no idea what it was. What happens to you when we see something of which we have no idea about? Obviously, you would fear it, right? The man who had no knowledge of the creature kept his distance, but he kept staring at it to fully capture the image of the creature in his mind. From where did it come? And for how long have these species been alive on the planet and why no one ever saw them before? Too many questions to answer but at that very moment, there was none. Wait until you see what that animal was that stayed hidden from the world.

Indeed Special

Even the scientists were stunned to hear about a strange species that has been roaming the wild in silence without showing themselves to the world. But how did they manage to do so? Scientists wanted to know more about the animal. It would be an amazing discovery for them. But their main focus was to study the animal and see if there was any danger to its existence.

Species Under Threat

We all have been experiencing the effects of climate change. And more than us it’s the animals who are struggling because of climate change. And scientists didn’t want to lose the opportunity to study the creature before it completely vanished from the face of the earth. But the problem was, the scientists didn’t have a location or spot where they could say that this amazing species can be spotted. So, how to find the creature again? It was all just sheer luck but it changed everything.

The Start Of The Journey

The team of scientists started their journey from the Northern Territories, Canada the same place where the creature was first spotted. Along the coasts in the Arctic Circle, the team was hoping to find the animal. But as they say, all the good things take time, the same was in this particular situation. The temperature here was below 0 degrees with long summer days and long winter nights. There’s snow everywhere you turn head to and people in Canada are just as nice as the weather. But the team wasn’t there to enjoy the weather but in search of the most amazing creature.

The First Man

David Kuptana, an Inuit man who lives on Victoria Island, the eighth largest island in the world was the first man who spotted the creature with his own eyes. He was so confused when he saw it that he had to tell it to someone. Who better than the scientists who work in these sort of fields. At first, no one believed it to be true, but then, the scientists could see that David wasn’t lying.

Eighth Largest Island

Victoria Island which is the eighth largest island in the world has a population of just 2,000 people. Despite the size as Idaho where over a million people reside, Victoria Island is not that crowded. This could be one of the reasons why nobody ever saw the creature before. With the population of just 2,000 people on an island that can fit a million people, it’s almost impossible to spot the creature. Fortunately, David did spot it.

Small Community

David Kuptana belonged to a small community of Ulukhaktok. He told that he was born in an igloo. The community just have a few hundred people living together in unity and harmony supporting each other. Ulukhaktok is really far. To reach the place you must be ready to travel the long, long, long distance north of Montana and covering the course of the Northwest Passage. The passage is a northern sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Famous Community

Even though the community is really small with a few hundred people, the Ulukhaktok community is a home for the northernmost golf course in the world. The community is famous for its beautiful Inuit art, such as musk ox-horn carvings and stone-cut prints. With less number of people living up north, the place has become quite remote. The groceries are really expensive which forces people to live off the land. And do you know what’s in the land?

Along With Polar Bears

Who could have thought that along with the Polar Bears there was one more creature who walked on the same areas as them? In the north, people who live there have a different relationship with the polar bears to those who have just seen them in pictures. When the Arctic Circle gets warmer, polar bears move out in the land where they spend most of their time. And this puts them near to humans. Maybe this was the same reason this new unknown creature came out that day to meet David.

Long History

For the Inuit people, polar bear encounters have been a long history. Back in the past, the people used to hunt them, to eat their meat and use their fur to keep themselves warm against the chilly weather of the area. Fortunately, the government took notice at the downfall of their population which would have made them extinct from the current status of vulnerable species. However, the laws haven’t been able to stop the Inuit hunters who still hunt the polar bear. David was out for hunting when he spotted a creature he hasn’t seen in his life before.

Unusual Sighting

David has been hunting polar bears for years now. In April 2010, he saw a creature that literally shocked him. For a moment he just stood there in silence. That day, it was David and his wife who were out to hunt bears. It was normal for them. They were on their snowmobiles and drove to their destination, a cabin on an island. They thought that would hunt and then stay in the cabin for a night. But then things didn’t go as planned. They weren’t alone.

The Broken Place

When they reached, there was something out of the place. Someone, or something, had already been there. David and his wife went inside the cabin, to see what has just happened here. They didn’t know if the cabin was empty or someone or something was still there inside it. They moved closer to the cabin. The cabin had been ransacked. But by whom?

Let’s Leave

David and his wife decided to leave the place. They booked a different cabin for their accommodation. They drove to a different cabin on their snowmobile. There was a cabin near to the previous cabin and David knew about it. The couple reached there only to see that this cabin was also ransacked. Things were scattered around. The mattress had been pulled outside. Who did all of this? They found out.

To The Next

David and his wife haven’t seen anything like this ever before. They stepped out of the cabin to the next available. The third, fourth, and fifth all the cabins were ransacked. It was scary and frustration at the same time for both of them. Then they moved to the next cabin. For a moment, David suggested that they should head back. They shouldn’t stay. But then they wanted to know who was behind it. When they found out they were in complete shock.

Should We Stay?

What would you do if you find yourself in a situation like this? We would definitely run away as soon as possible. Even David and his wife wanted to leave and they would have left if only they wouldn’t have spotted the reason behind all the ransacking. Something was different with the creature. And what’s that? You’ll find out soon.

The Sixth Cabin

David and her wife moved to the sixth cabin. It was the last cabin in that area. David wasn’t feeling right about the area that day. With all the mysterious things that have happened that day he was already in shock. There was something in the area that has caused all the commotion around. But what was it? Who was breaking inside the cabin and then destroying it?

Inside The Last Cabin

They moved inside the cabin only to get more surprised about everything. Inside the cabin, there was someone or something that has been destroying the cabins one by one. Both of them stood in front of the cabin, confused and scared. They couldn’t decide if they should go in or leave the place. The snowmobile was just behind them they could have left the place, but they were a little too late for that.

The Noise!

While they stood in front of the cabin, they heard some noise that took them by surprise. It was thud sound which came from the inside of the cabin. David moved a little closer to see if he could get a peek of what was going on inside. David knew one thing that it was not a human who was doing all of this. The way things were left in the cabin proved it was a work of some wild animal and in that area, only one wild animal came up to the land of humans. Polar bears. But it wasn’t a polar bear!

No Polar Bear

The couple knew that if it was a polar bear then there was a chance they could handle the situation. David heard that thing was now moving. He asked his wife to stay closer to the snowmobile. Cautiously, he moved closer to the cabin. The front door of the house was already opened. He touched the door only to get more surprised. He didn’t shout or anything, he just stood there in silence. David and the creature stared back at each other and then it moved out from the back gate of the cabin. David felt like his legs have been frozen. 

What Was That?

David’s wife saw her husband standing like a statue in front of the gate. She knew that something wasn’t right. She called, “David” But David’s mind was somewhere else. He looked back at his wife who was asking what was going on. He said, “don’t move. Stay where you are”! She didn’t know what has happened to her husband but looking at his face she could tell that he was serious. So, she stayed where she was.

Like Bear, But No Bear

David said the creature he saw in the cabin looked like a bear but was blonde with dark paws and dark eyes. It was not a polar bear, he was sure of that. David and his wife sat on their snowmobile and chased the creature. David thought it was one of those grizzly bears which he hasn’t caught before. Whatever it was, it was worth looking for.

He Was Forced To Do It

David was scared of the creature who was behaving in a weird way. It was destroying the cabins and now was running towards his community. So, he did what he felt was the right thing to do at that moment. He shot the animal, then took it to the local authorities. The officer saw the creature and realized that it was not a bear nor a grizzly bear, but it was a hybrid species.

The DNA Test

The government officer who was in charge of the investigation believed this bear was a hybrid. They sent it for the DNA test. They found out that some years back 20 of such hybrids were born in captivity. And two of these species was born in 2004 in Germany’s Osnabrück zoo. They were named Tips and Taps. 

In Other Countries

In other countries like Russia, Israel, Germany, and Europe they keep the species of animals in the close captivity that leads in hybrid babies, like ligers. But the creature David found was not a liger. Tips and Taps’ parents were kept in the same enclosure for 24 years where they mated and made two hybrids.

Back In 2006

In 2006, a hunter who was in Banks Island, Northern Territories, Canada spotted the first (confirmed) wild hybrid bear. Banks Island is located northwest if Victoria Island, where one hybrid was spotted in 2010. The two Banks Islands and Victoria Island are separated by a thin channel of water.

Other Stories Of Such Sight

There have been stories about other odd colored bears in the wild, living in the same space as polar bears, none had been ever tested for DNA or any other tests. When the first hybrid was found in 2006, scientists didn’t give it much attention but that changed when they discovered more hybrids. 

The Recent Discovery

In 2016, the third hybrid was discovered in Arviat, Canada. When this hybrid was found scientists blamed its appearance on climate change. Warm climates have been affecting the wildness in Arctic Circle to a major extent. The ice is melting and polar bears aren’t out in the ocean as often. 

Mating Pattern

For scientists, polar bear mating with another species was really confusing and new. And why is that? You ask. Because polar bears spend days chasing the female species before finally mating. So, this new hybrid in front of the eyes told the scientists a different story. Scientists believed that the change in temperature in the area forced them to mate with other species and the hybrids were a good mix which had characteristics of both the species. 

The Pizzlies

Pizzy bears inherit the physical features from both their parents. They have got long claws and the body is filled with fur and have hairy feet. It is the fur that distinguishes them from others which are partially hollow. It is believed that the fur makes them more adaptable to the warm temperatures. 

Adaptable?

Until the recent study, scientists thought that Pizzy bear are adaptable to any environment but that wasn’t true. On both land and ice, they aren’t that great. So, the claim that said climate change forced the hybrids to evolved was refuted after the recent study that told them a different story entirely. They found out some quite impressive things about this new species.

Parents Of The Hybrid

DNA tests told the scientists about the parents of the hybrid bear. They thought it was a mix between a grizzly bear and a polar bear, but actually, the bear’s mother was half polar, half grizzly, and the father was a full-grown grizzly bear. So, basically this bear was 75 percent grizzly and the rest was a polar bear.

Several Names

These hybrids go by different names like pizzly bears, grolar bears, or nanulak. And because this species is very rare, it’s almost impossible to see one in the wild. And this species was the first that was actually found and was later researched for other information. They can also have their own babies. But the question of why was grizzlies and polar bears were mating was something scientists wanted to know. And they found some really interesting answers.

Bear 10960

In 2017, a team of scientists found out that the origin of pizzly bears can be traced back to one female polar bear whose name was Bear 10960. After months of research, the team was able to dig out some lost information about the species. As it was thought that polar bears and grizzlies were mating more often, turns out that it wasn’t happening that frequently.

Mated Twice

The female polar bear mated with not one but with two individual grizzly bears. She gave birth to three litters, which are as small as the newborn cubs. Out of three two were twins. But the question that made the scientists scratch their head was why did she mate with the two grizzly bears?

The Preference

Maybe she mated with grizzly bears based on her choice or maybe there were no polar bears around when the mating period started for the bears. When a female polar bear is ready to mate, she would give off a strong scent from her feet which she leaves on the tracks for the males who in turn place their own paws on her footprints.

Three Times

And maybe because of the smelly tracks the grizzly bears might have followed her. But the strange part was she didn’t do it once but three times. According to scientists, Bear 10960 maybe had a preference for grizzly males. Later the scientists discovered more shocking information about the whole story and discovery.

Looks All Fiction

The story takes a little twist from here because scientists found out that all the hybrids belong to one family. the scientists also found out that the Bear 10960 passed her preference of mating with grizzly bears to her hybrid daughter. Because the daughter later mated with the same two male grizzly bears her mom mated with, in the past.

Nature Is Wild

Talking in human terms, we could say that the hybrid daughter mated with her father and her step-father. So, the bear that David found was the grandchild of Bear 10960. Though we might say, it’s okay as they are just animals, still, the scientists believe that it all happened because of the change in the climate.

The Warning!

Because of climate change, polar bears are changing their homes. Polar bears live in the Arctic Circle, Canada, Alaska, Greenland, Norway, and Russia. They hunt in the cold waters and when they are on land, during summer when there is no ice, they don’t eat and survive on their fat reserves.

Grizzly Bears

Grizzly Bears, from the same family of brown bear, live in North America, Europe, and in the northern regions of Asia. Though they have a very vast range of habitats, the bears who live in northern Canada stick to the mainland and don’t roam around on other parts except their territories. But with a rise in temperatures, their way of living is changing and the bears have started to move to other places…

Moving To The North

Grizzly Bears have started moving into the polar territories. Warming summers have more land the ice, and polar spends most of their time on land as there is no ice. Grizzlies are moving north in search of land and land up in the polar bears’ territories. 

Mostly Male

Mostly, it is the male grizzlies that are moving into the territories of polar bears. They move as far as they could to establish territories, but the females mostly stay in one area. Today, the two entirely different species are overlapping in the Canadian Arctic and in Siberia. So, what does this mean for the future of the bears?

Their Unique Habitats

Polar Bears and Grizzly Bears are both highly adapted to their individual surroundings. For example, polar bear feet are covered in fur which helps them walk on the ice, whereas, grizzly bear feet are just padded. Where polar bears have a sleek head which lets them dive in and out of the waters easily, grizzly bears heads are big.

Other Differences

Though one might say that except the colors of the fur they all look the same, but there’s a long list of differences between Polar Bear and Grizzly Bear. The grizzly bear has long claws which they use for digging whereas polar bears have thick claws which they use while hunting for seal and walking on ice. Since pizzly bears are mixed breeds inheriting both the characteristics of polar bears and grizzly bears, they look like this…

Difference Between A Pizzly And A Grolar

Every pizzly bear doesn’t look the same. But there are some common traits that they share. The most common one is the fur color. Pizzlies are blonde or light brown and have dark paws. Then they also have other characteristics that make them different from other bears.

The Size Factor

A pizzly bear’s body size is between the large polar bear and a small grizzly. The hybrids have a long neck similar to polar bears, but their shoulder and back humps are similar to a grizzly. Unlike the polar bear and grizzly, the hybrids have a visible tail. And these physical features aren’t great for any habitat they live or move to.

The Grolar Bear

So, how do they behave in the wild? Scientists kept Tips and Taps in closed captivity to gather information about their behavior. Both Tips and Taps showed the characteristics of the polar bear. Even in the wild, the hybrids behaved like polar bears. So, it was believed they inherit more characteristics of a polar bear than a grizzly bear.

What If?

Since all the hybrids had a polar mother and grizzly fathers. The polar mother raised them like polar bears. But what would have happened if they had a grizzly mother? We know for sure the hybrids are a result of polar mothers and grizzly father. But since this has only happened in the captivity we can’t say for sure how would the hybrids have behaved if the situation was reversed.

Grizzly Fathers In The Wild

We know that hybrids have a grizzly bear as the father, but why aren’t there any polar bear fathers in the wild? According to scientists, it was because female grizzlies and male polar bears don’t migrate into each other’s territory.

Hunting Could Be One

Even in the start, we told you how humans have hunted polar bears and they mostly hunted the male polar bears. And maybe because of the fact we don’t see many male polar bears compared to female polar bears. And maybe because of that Bear 10960 didn’t have any other option except mating with the grizzly bears. And the names Grolar and Pizzly depend on the father.

One Huge Difference

Hybrids do have one major difference that distinguishes them from their parents. Though they behave more like polar bears in the wild, still, what David saw that day, a hybrid ransacking the cabin and everything in front of him was something that told the scientists that they are indeed different. Hybrids are more aggressive and meaner.

Hunter’s Comment

“The hybrids, they aren’t like polar bears. They’re faster, have longer legs. They stand up and look straight at you when they see you; the polar bears, they keep their head down. The polar bear will try to get away. There is more danger with a hybrid,” said Pat Epakohak, a hunter from Ulukhaktok.

What’s In The Future?

The Ulukhaktok Community was confused. They didn’t know what to do with this new hybrid that was destroying everything in front of it. Some said that they should be left alone and some said that they didn’t want grizzlies on Victoria Island. They wanted to hunt them down.

Tourist’s Attraction

However, the senior members of the community came up with a brilliant idea, using this new species as a tourist attraction. But since, the hunters knew that the hybrid’s skin could fetch a lot of money the idea of using the hybrids to attract the tourists may be unlikely. The scientists even believe that there is a chance that the hybrids are no more out there in wild and the hybrid which David shot was the last which was later put up on display in Ulukhaktok’s community hall.

The Lesson

The hybrid David killed that day revealed a piece of information about the hybrids. For scientists, it was the most amazing discovery. They actually saw a hybrid that was fully grown up and healthy in every sense. Scientists have been studying the possibility of hybrids for years now and when now they have one they could definitely work in that direction. And most importantly the hybrids are fertile which means they can reproduce.

Still, A Lot Has To Be Done

Often, hybrid animals could be infertile and they aren’t able to reproduce, which is one of the biggest fears in the scientists’ community who have been working in this direction. There are still several grey areas which they need to be solved before they could try the technique of hybrids in other endangered species which could somehow save not the whole endangered species, at least some percentage of it.