🔗 Share this article

Researchers monitoring wild polar bears in Canada's northern regions witnessed something remarkably uncommon this fall: a female bear adopting a cub that was not biologically her own.

The half-decade-old maternal bear and her 10- to 11-month-old cubs were observed and captured on camera during the annual polar bear migration along the Hudson Bay's western shore near Churchill, Manitoba, an area renowned for its concentration of Arctic bears.

"It's unusual," stated a researcher with an international bear organization. "The reasons are unclear why it happens...but we know it is a rare event at all."

This represents only the 13th known case of adoption out of 4,600 bears researched for nearly five decades in the area.

The mother bear was initially tagged as she came out from her birthing den this springtime. Initially, she had one cub, which scientists tagged for study.

In the fall, she was seen again, but this time with two cubs - the original cub and a second without a tag. Scientists aren't sure what became of the new cub's birth mother, but they are attempting to identify her using genetic samples.

"The bears need all the help they can get these days with a warming climate," noted a wildlife biologist. "When mother bears have the opportunity to take in another cub and care for it and see it to independence, it's a positive development for the population."

Polar bears in the wild only have a 50% chance of living into adulthood, but having a maternal figure caring for them improves their chances.

The young bears are reported as in good condition, according to experts, and they will likely remain with their adoptive mother until they are about 30 months of age.

Following this, the family is expected to head out to sea ice, where the youngsters will learn from their mother bear how to hunt seals and survive on their own.

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