Arctic Bear Mother Takes In Youngster in Rarely Recorded Case
Researchers monitoring free-roaming polar bears in northern Canada observed something exceedingly rare this fall: a female bear adopting a cub that was not biologically her own.
The half-decade-old mother and her 10- to 11-month-old cubs were spotted and filmed during the yearly polar bear migration along the Hudson Bay's western shore near Churchill, Manitoba, an locale known for its polar bear population.
"This is uncommon," remarked a scientist with a polar bear conservation group. "We don't really know why it happens...but we know it doesn't happen often at all."
It's only the 13th known case of adoption out of nearly five thousand bears researched for nearly five decades in that region.
The mother bear was first captured as she emerged from her maternity den this spring. Initially, she had one cub, which scientists tagged for research.
In the autumn, she was spotted once more, but this time with two cubs - the original cub and another without a tag. Researchers are uncertain what became of the new cub's biological mother, but they are trying to identify her using DNA analysis.
"These animals need all the help they can get in the current era with a warming climate," commented a polar bear scientist. "When mother bears have the opportunity to take in an additional youngster and raise 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 maturity, but having a maternal figure providing care boosts their odds.
The cubs are reported as healthy, according to experts, and they will likely remain with their mother until they are about two-and-a-half years old.
Next, the bear family is anticipated to venture out to sea ice, where the cubs will be taught from their mother how to catch prey and live on their own.
"It's just nice to know that the bears are caring for each other," concluded the researcher.