Scientists' stunning observation of hybrid 'grolar' bear sparks concern: 'Ill-suited to adapt'
As Arctic ice melts and temperatures rise, an unexpected hybrid bear is beginning to shape the shifting landscape: the "grolar" bear.
Grolar bears, the offspring of polar and grizzly bears, are rare but striking consequences of climate change. While their emergence raises intriguing questions about wildlife adaptation, as GreaterGood recently covered, it also signals deeper disruptions to ecosystems that could have lasting effects on wildlife and human communities alike.
What's happening?
Polar and grizzly bears once occupied distinct habitats, with polar bears living in the Arctic and grizzly bears in tundras and forests farther south. But as the Arctic warms, polar bears are being pushed inland, where their territory now overlaps with that of grizzlies. This shift has led to the rise of grolar bears, first spotted in 2006 in the western Arctic.
Though the hybridization is still rare, experts expect it to increase as climate change accelerates. It's a stark reminder of how climate change is reshaping entire ecosystems and threatening the delicate balance on which both wildlife and human livelihoods depend.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/scientists-stunning-observation-hybrid-grolar-110014670.html
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