Polar Bear Mother Adopts Youngster in Infrequently Documented Case
Researchers tracking wild polar bears in northern Canada observed something exceedingly rare this fall: a mother bear taking in a cub that was not genetically her own.
The half-decade-old mother and her nearly year-old cubs were observed and filmed during the yearly polar bear migration along the Western Hudson Bay near Churchill, Manitoba, an locale known for its concentration of Arctic bears.
"This is uncommon," stated 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."
This represents only the 13th known case of adoption out of 4,600 bears studied for almost fifty years in that region.
The mother bear was initially tagged as she came out from her maternity den this springtime. At the time, she had one cub, which scientists tagged for study.
In the fall, she was spotted once more, but this time with two cubs - the original cub and another without a tag. Scientists aren't sure what became of the new cub's biological mother, but they are attempting to locate her using DNA analysis.
"These animals need all the help they can get these days with a warming climate," noted a polar bear scientist. "If females have the chance to pick up an additional youngster and care for it and see it to independence, it's a positive development for the bears."
Polar bears in the wild only have a 50% chance of surviving into adulthood, but having a mother caring for them boosts their odds.
The young bears appear to be healthy, researchers said, and they will probably stay with their adoptive mother until they are about two-and-a-half years old.
Next, the family is expected 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 is heartening to know that the animals are caring for each other," concluded the scientist.
