Arctic Bear Mother Adopts Cub in Infrequently Recorded Case
Scientists monitoring wild polar bears in Canada's northern regions witnessed something remarkably uncommon this autumn: a mother bear adopting a cub that was not biologically her own.
The half-decade-old maternal bear and her nearly year-old cubs were spotted and filmed during the annual polar bear journey along the Hudson Bay's western shore near the Manitoba town of Churchill, an area renowned for its concentration of Arctic bears.
"This is uncommon," remarked a scientist with a polar bear conservation group. "The reasons are unclear why it happens...but we know it doesn't happen often at all."
It's only the 13th known case of fostering out of 4,600 bears studied for nearly five decades in the area.
The female bear was initially tagged as she emerged from her maternity den this spring. Initially, she had a single offspring, which researchers marked for research.
In the autumn, she was seen again, but this time with two cubs - the initially tagged cub and another that was untagged. Scientists are uncertain what happened to the new cub's birth mother, but they are attempting to locate her using genetic samples.
"The bears need every advantage they can get in the current era with a warming climate," noted a wildlife biologist. "When mother bears have the chance to take in an additional youngster 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 living into maturity, but having a maternal figure caring for them boosts their chances.
The cubs appear to be in good condition, researchers said, and they will probably remain 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 cubs will learn from their mother how to catch prey and survive on their own.
"It's just nice to know that the bears are caring for each other," added the scientist.
