Arctic Bear Mother Adopts Youngster in Infrequently Recorded Case

Researchers tracking wild polar bears in northern Canada witnessed something exceedingly rare this fall: a mother bear adopting a cub that was not biologically her own.

The five-year-old mother and her nearly year-old cubs were observed and filmed during the yearly polar bear migration along the Hudson Bay's western shore near Churchill, Manitoba, an area renowned for its polar bear population.

"This is uncommon," remarked a researcher with an international bear organization. "The reasons are unclear why it occurs...but we know it is a rare event at all."

It's only the 13th known case of adoption out of nearly five thousand bears researched for nearly five decades in the area.

The female bear was initially tagged as she emerged from her maternity den this spring. At the time, she had a single offspring, which scientists marked for research.

In the autumn, she was seen again, but this time with two cubs - the initially tagged cub and another without a tag. Researchers aren't sure what became of the new cub's biological mother, but they are attempting to identify her using DNA analysis.

"The bears need all the help they can get these days with a warming climate," commented a polar bear scientist. "If females have the chance to take in another cub and care for it and see it to independence, it's a good thing for the population."

Polar bears in the natural world only have a 50% chance of surviving into adulthood, but having a maternal figure caring for them boosts their chances.

The cubs appear to be healthy, according to experts, and they will probably stay with their adoptive mother until they are about two-and-a-half years old.

Following this, the family is anticipated to head out to sea ice, where the youngsters will be taught from their mother how to catch prey and survive on their own.

"It's just nice to know that the bears are looking out for each other," concluded the scientist.