Polar bears, grizzlies could soon compete for territory

Polar bears and grizzly bears, two mighty beasts of the Canadian wilderness, could soon be battling over territory.

Hungry grizzly bears are increasingly encroaching on their northern counterparts' territory in Northern Manitoba, according to experts.

There have been reports of "grolars" in the Northwest Territories.

In May 2006, DNA tests confirmed that a strange looking bear killed by an American hunter was the first cross-bred polar and grizzly bear ever discovered in the wild.

Jim Martell, who paid $50,000 for guides and a polar bear hunting tag, shot the mid-sized male after his Inuit guide pointed out what looked like a polar bear in the distance.

Authorities seized the animal after noticing its polar-bear-white fur was mottled with brown patches, and its eyes were set inside thin circles of black skin.