Polar Bear Mother Takes In Cub in Infrequently Recorded Instance
Scientists tracking free-roaming polar bears in Canada's northern regions witnessed something remarkably uncommon this autumn: a female bear taking in a cub that was not biologically her own.
The half-decade-old mother and her 10- to 11-month-old cubs were observed and captured on camera during the yearly polar bear journey along the Western Hudson Bay near the Manitoba town of Churchill, an area renowned for its polar bear population.
"It's unusual," 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 nearly five thousand bears researched for almost fifty years in that region.
The mother bear was first captured as she came out from her birthing den this spring. At the time, she had one cub, which scientists tagged for study.
In the fall, she was seen again, but this time with two cubs - the initially tagged cub and another without a tag. Scientists are uncertain what happened to the new cub's biological mother, but they are trying to locate her using DNA analysis.
"The bears need all the help they can get in the current era with climate change," commented a polar bear scientist. "When mother bears have the opportunity to pick up an additional youngster and raise it and successfully wean it, it's a positive development for the population."
Polar bears in the natural world only have a 50% chance of surviving into adulthood, but having a maternal figure caring for them improves their odds.
The young bears are reported as healthy, researchers said, and they will likely stay with their adoptive mother until they are about 30 months of age.
Next, the family is anticipated to venture out to the frozen ocean, where the youngsters will learn from their mother how to catch prey and live on their own.
"It's just nice to know that the bears are looking out for each other," concluded the researcher.
