Calgary Herald, Yale e360, Alaska Dispatch, etc: A surge in hybrid grizzly and polar bears as sea ice retreats

About a week ago a lively, well-reported article by Ed Struzik ran apparently simultaneously at the Calgary Herald and at Yale's e360 non-profit enviro news sites. He reported in vivid, anecdotal detail a remarkable series of recent sightings. Canadian biologists say they are seeing an upsurge in hybrid bears born of brown (aka grizzly) and polar bears, plus brown bears stalking game incuding seals at the high latitudes where the white bears are the norm but their big inland cousins had been exceedingly rare.

    The swift vignettes of the animals are intriguing. Here is a short bio of Struzik, an accomplished writer and photographer. The news also set off a small flurry of reports in other outlets. Such hybrids have been in the news before (see this 2006 BBC account)but these fresh snippets of specific info give the tale notable vigor:

• Yale e360 - Ed Struzik (same report as at Calgary Herald): Unusual Number of Grizzly and Hybrid Bears Spotted in High Arctic ;
• Alaska Dispatch: Surge of hybrid polar-grizzly bear sightings befuddle scientists ;
• Environmental News Network: Hybrid Polar/Grizzly Bears showing up in Arctic ; Reprint of Yale e360 article.

While we're at it:

• Guardian (UK) Andrew Freedman (of Climate Central, WashPost, etc): Arctic sea ice melting on par with 2007 record ;
• Discovery News - Kieran Mulvaney: Blame Humans For Arctic Sea Ice Loss ;

- Charlie Petit