Polar Ursine Mother Takes In Youngster in Infrequently Documented Case

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

The half-decade-old maternal bear and her nearly year-old cubs were observed and captured on camera during the annual polar bear migration along the Western Hudson Bay near the Manitoba town of Churchill, an area known for its concentration of Arctic bears.

"This is uncommon," stated a researcher with an international bear organization. "The reasons are unclear why it happens...but we know it doesn't happen often at all."

This represents only the thirteenth documented instance of fostering out of nearly five thousand bears researched for nearly five decades in the area.

The mother bear was first captured as she emerged from her birthing 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 aren't sure what happened to the second cub's biological mother, but they are trying to identify her using DNA analysis.

"The bears need all the help they can get in the current era with climate change," noted a polar bear scientist. "If females have the opportunity to pick up an additional youngster and care for 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 adulthood, but having a maternal figure providing care boosts their chances.

The cubs appear to be in good condition, researchers said, and they will probably stay with their mother until they are about 30 months of age.

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

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