Arctic Bear Mother Takes In Cub in Rarely Documented Instance
Scientists tracking free-roaming polar bears in northern Canada observed something remarkably uncommon 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 captured on camera during the annual polar bear journey along the Hudson Bay's western shore near Churchill, Manitoba, an area known for its concentration of Arctic bears.
"This is uncommon," stated 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 thirteenth documented instance of fostering out of nearly five thousand bears researched for nearly five decades in that region.
The female bear was initially tagged as she emerged from her maternity den this spring. Initially, she had one cub, which researchers tagged for study.
In the autumn, she was spotted once more, but this time with two cubs - the initially tagged cub and a second that was untagged. Scientists aren't sure what became of the second cub's birth mother, but they are trying to locate her using DNA analysis.
"The bears need all the help they can get these days with a warming climate," noted a wildlife biologist. "When mother bears have the opportunity to pick up another cub and raise it and see it to independence, it's a good thing for the bears."
Polar bears in the wild only have a 50% chance of living into adulthood, but having a maternal figure providing care improves their odds.
The young bears appear to be in good condition, according to experts, and they will likely remain with their mother until they are about 30 months of age.
Next, the family is expected to venture out to sea ice, where the youngsters will be taught 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," concluded the researcher.
