Arctic Bear Maternal Figure Takes In Cub in Infrequently Recorded Instance

Researchers monitoring free-roaming polar bears in Canada's northern regions witnessed something exceedingly rare this autumn: a female bear taking in a cub that was not genetically her own.

The half-decade-old maternal bear and her 10- to 11-month-old cubs were spotted and captured on camera during the yearly polar bear migration along the Western Hudson Bay near the Manitoba town of Churchill, an locale renowned for its concentration of Arctic bears.

"This is uncommon," remarked a scientist with a polar bear conservation group. "We don't really know why it happens...but we know it is a rare event at all."

It's only the 13th known case of adoption out of 4,600 bears researched for almost fifty years in the area.

The mother bear was first captured as she emerged from her maternity den this springtime. At the time, she had a single offspring, which scientists marked for research.

In the fall, she was seen again, but this time with a pair of cubs - the original cub and a second without a tag. Scientists are uncertain what became of the new cub's birth mother, but they are trying to identify her using DNA analysis.

"The bears need all the help they can get these days with a warming climate," noted a wildlife biologist. "If females have the chance to pick up an additional youngster and raise it and successfully wean it, it's a good thing for the bears."

Polar bears in the wild only have a fifty-fifty survival rate of surviving into maturity, but having a maternal figure providing care improves their chances.

The cubs are reported as in good condition, according to experts, and they will likely stay with their adoptive mother until they are about two-and-a-half years old.

Next, the family is anticipated to venture out to the frozen ocean, where the youngsters will be taught from their mother bear how to catch prey and live on their own.

"It is heartening to know that the bears are caring for each other," added the researcher.