‘Grolar’ hybrid of grizzlies and polar bears remains rare in wild, study finds

DNA analysis of old samples finds only five historical cases raising hopes for polar bears as a distinct species

A family of grolars" in Canada's Arctic remains the only confirmed example of hybrid offspring between polar and grizzly bears, according to a new study which may provide some optimism for conservationists worried about the future of polar bears as a distinct species.

A team of North American researchers examined old bear samples collected between 1975 and 2015 using a newly developed tool to look for previously unknown examples of hybrid bears.