'Unluckiest bear in the world': Albino grizzly bear mistaken for a polar bear sent to the Arctic 5 times!

A tale of mistaken identity has turned the life of this creature upside-down in a way you wouldn't expect. Joey, an albino grizzly bear, has had a series of hilariously unfortunate events happen to him that have earned him the title of the “unluckiest bear in the world.” Joey’s unique appearance, characterized by his snowy-white fur due to albinism, has led to numerous cases of mistaken identity. Conservationists and wildlife activists have repeatedly confused him with a polar bear, resulting in Joey being transported to the Arctic multiple times.
Joey’s story began in the lush forests of Canada, where he was first spotted by a group of conservationists in 2021. His strikingly pale, white fur immediately caught their attention, and they mistakenly identified him as a polar bear that had somehow wandered far from its natural habitat. Concerned for his well-being, they decided to relocate him to the Arctic, believing it to be his rightful home. Joey was tranquilized and airlifted to the icy wilderness of the North Pole.
Albino grizzly bears are extremely rare. Most reported sightings of white bears in the wild are not true albinos but are instead other conditions like leucism, which only partially reduces pigmentation.

Upon arrival, Joey found himself in a completely unfamiliar environment. The Arctic’s harsh, icy terrain was a stark contrast to the lush and bountiful forest he was accustomed to. Joey struggled to adapt to the new surroundings, finding it difficult to hunt and fish in the icy waters and was often intimidated and chased by the larger polar bears. Despite these challenges, he managed to survive, albeit with great difficulty.
It wasn’t long before local wildlife experts in the Arctic realized that Joey was not a polar bear. His behavior and physical characteristics were distinctly different from the native polar bears, for one his fur was yellowish versus the snow-white polar bear and despite being an adult bear he was also smaller in comparison to the Arctic giants. After checking their databases, they discovered that Joey was, in fact, an albino grizzly bear from Canada. Efforts were made to return him to his original habitat, and Joey was carefully transported back by helicopter.
However, Joey’s troubles were far from over. In 2022, he was once again mistaken for a polar bear by another group of conservationists. This time, he was found wandering near a small town in Alaska. The locals, unfamiliar with the concept of an albino grizzly bear, assumed he was a lost polar bear and alerted wildlife authorities. Joey was tranquilized and sent back to the Arctic.
This cycle of mistaken identity and relocation continued over the next few years for a total of 5 times that Joey was sent to the Arctic and back. Each time Joey was returned to the Arctic, he faced the same challenges of adapting to an environment that was not his own. Despite the repeated disruptions to his life, Joey showed remarkable resilience and adaptability. His story became widely known, and he was affectionately dubbed the “unluckiest bear in the world.”
In 2024, Joey’s plight caught the attention of a global audience. His repeated misidentifications highlighted the need for better education and training for conservationists and wildlife activists. Efforts were made to raise awareness about the existence of albino grizzly bears and the importance of accurately identifying wildlife before taking action.
Joey’s life, though filled with unexpected challenges, also brought about positive changes. His story raised awareness about the unique challenges faced by albino animals and the importance of proper wildlife management. Joey, the albino grizzly bear who kept getting mistaken for a polar bear, became a symbol of resilience and the need for greater understanding and care in the treatment of wildlife. Please note, TOI cannot confirm the veracity of Joey's story. The article has been compiled with the aid of various media sources.
For the unversed, Albino grizzly bears are extremely rare, characterized by their lack of pigmentation, which gives them a white or pale appearance. Unlike the typical brown grizzly bear, albino grizzlies have pink noses and eyes due to the absence of melanin. Their unique coloration can make them more vulnerable in the wild, as they lack the natural camouflage that their brown counterparts possess. Sightings of albino grizzly bears are exceptional and often draw significant interest from wildlife enthusiasts and researchers alike. Like other grizzly bears, albino grizzlies would inhabit forests, alpine meadows, and tundra regions, primarily in North America, including parts of Canada and the United States (e.g., Alaska, Montana, Wyoming).
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