Bear killed by Inuit hunter may be polar-grizzly hybrid.

The mounted remains of the first grizzly-polar bear cross, shot in 2006 by U.S. hunter Jim Martell. A possible second of the rare cross breeds was shot last on Victoria Island in the Northwest Territories.

An animal shot last week by an Inuit hunter travelling on the sea ice in the High Arctic has sparked debate over whether another polar bear-grizzly hybrid - a so-called "pizzly" or "grolar" - has been discovered.

The creamy white animal, which was shot near the community of Ulukhaktok on Victoria Island, is almost picture-perfect in terms of colouring for a polar bear.

But its big head, long claws and ring of brown hair around its hind feet are more in keeping with the profile of a grizzly bear.

Scientists say it's possible the animal is a hybrid - a rare product of a polar bear and grizzly mating in the wild.

Although several suspected sightings have been made in recent years, only one hybrid - an animal shot by an U.S. hunter in 2006 - has ever been confirmed in the wild.

"It's a bit hard to say for sure whether it might be a hybrid because the angles of the photos don't really illustrate the animal optimally," says scientist Ian Stirling, who studied polar bears for 37 years while working with the Canadian Wildlife Service out of Edmonton.

"However, I have to say the claws on the front feet look pretty long for a polar bear to me, and the head and ears look like they might have some similarities to a grizzly.

"There also seems to be some brown hair down by the hind feet. Otherwise, the coat looks rather like a polar bear. I would like to have a much better look, but it does seem like a hybrid is a possibility at least. I hope they make sure they get a sample for DNA analysis so the details can be clarified for sure."

University of Alberta scientist Andrew Derocher said he'd be more inclined to say it's a grizzly bear, if it weren't so early in the season.

"It's a bit early for grizzlies to be out this time of year in the Arctic," he said.

"But it was 0 C in Tuktoyaktuk yesterday, which is very warm for this time of year. To me, it does look like a grizzly, but it's rather hard to tell for sure. There are lots of blond grizzlies in the Mackenzie Delta and beyond - some very white.

"It will be interesting to hear what comes of this one, but I'd say grizzly - the fur and feet sure look like one."

DNA test results on the bear, expected later this week, will clarify the matter. The hunter who shot the animal won't talk - or release photos - until then. But he's betting it's a hybrid.

Until about 20 years ago, sightings of the animals in the High Arctic were extremely rare.

But ever since a Northwest Territories biologist came upon a grizzly 600 kilometres north of the mainland in 1991, an increasing number of brown bears have been spotted on the ice and on the High Arctic islands.

What grizzlies are doing that far north is not clearly understood. It may be that they're following caribou migrating north of the mainland on the sea ice in the spring. Or it could have been a case of heading in the wrong direction at a time of year when everything is covered in snow. Climate change may also be a factor.

No one expected the two species to mate in the wild because both engage in extended, although similar, mating rituals.

To prevent wasting its eggs, a female ovulates only after spending several days with a male. This ensures that the female doesn't produce an egg that would die unfertilized if there were no mate around at the time. The bears then mate several times over the next several days.

The story of the so-called "pizzly" that was shot in 2006 set off a flurry of stories around the world. Some stories suggested a possible link with climate change and wildlife-management practices that might be favouring an expansion of the Arctic grizzly bear population.

Both bears were shot at almost the same latitude, far from the mainland, but near adjacent islands - Banks and Victoria.

Courtesy of Paul McCarthy