Arctic Bear Maternal Figure Takes In Cub in Infrequently Recorded Instance
Researchers monitoring wild polar bears in northern Canada observed something exceedingly rare this autumn: a female bear taking in a cub that was not genetically her own.
The five-year-old maternal bear and her 10- to 11-month-old cubs were observed and captured on camera during the yearly polar bear migration along the Western Hudson Bay near Churchill, Manitoba, an area 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 is a rare event at all."
This represents only the thirteenth documented instance of adoption 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 researchers tagged for study.
In the fall, she was spotted once more, but this time with a pair of cubs - the initially tagged cub and a second without a tag. Scientists are uncertain what became of the second cub's birth mother, but they are trying to locate her using genetic samples.
"The bears need every advantage they can get these days with climate change," 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 positive development for the population."
Polar bears in the natural world only have a fifty-fifty survival rate of surviving into maturity, but having a maternal figure caring for them boosts their odds.
The cubs appear to be healthy, researchers said, and they will likely remain with their adoptive mother until they are about 30 months of age.
Next, the bear family is expected to venture out to the frozen ocean, 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," added the researcher.
