Arctic Bear Mother Takes In Cub in Rarely Documented Instance
Researchers monitoring wild polar bears in northern Canada witnessed something exceedingly rare 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 observed and filmed during the annual polar bear journey along the Western Hudson Bay near Churchill, Manitoba, an locale known for its polar bear population.
"It's unusual," remarked a researcher with a polar bear conservation group. "The reasons are unclear why it occurs...but we know it doesn't happen often at all."
This represents only the 13th known case of fostering out of 4,600 bears researched for almost fifty years in that region.
The female bear was first captured as she came out from her maternity den this springtime. At the time, she had one cub, which scientists marked for study.
In the autumn, she was spotted once more, but this time with two cubs - the initially tagged cub and another that was untagged. Researchers aren't sure what became of the new cub's birth mother, but they are attempting to identify her using genetic samples.
"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 another cub and care for it and successfully wean it, it's a good thing for the population."
Polar bears in the wild only have a 50% chance of surviving into maturity, but having a maternal figure caring for them boosts their chances.
The young bears are reported as in good condition, researchers said, and they will likely remain with their mother until they are about 30 months of age.
Next, the bear family is anticipated to venture out to sea ice, where the cubs will be taught from their mother how to hunt seals and live on their own.
"It's just nice to know that the bears are looking out for each other," concluded the researcher.
