Arctic Ursine Mother Takes In Cub in Infrequently Recorded Case
Researchers tracking free-roaming 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 maternal bear and her nearly year-old cubs were spotted and captured on camera during the annual polar bear journey along the Hudson Bay's western shore near the Manitoba town of Churchill, an locale known for its concentration of Arctic bears.
"It's unusual," stated a researcher with an international bear organization. "The reasons are unclear why it happens...but we know it is a rare event at all."
This represents only the thirteenth documented instance of fostering out of 4,600 bears researched for almost fifty years in that region.
The female bear was first captured as she emerged from her maternity den this spring. Initially, she had a single offspring, which scientists marked for research.
In the autumn, she was spotted once more, but this time with a pair of cubs - the original cub and a second without a tag. Researchers are uncertain what became of the new cub's biological mother, but they are trying to identify her using genetic samples.
"The bears need all the help they can get these days with a warming climate," commented a wildlife biologist. "When mother bears have the chance to pick up another cub 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 fifty-fifty survival rate of surviving into adulthood, but having a maternal figure caring for them boosts their chances.
The cubs appear to be in good condition, researchers said, and they will likely remain with their mother until they are about 30 months of age.
Next, the family is expected to head out to the frozen ocean, where the youngsters will learn from their mother bear how to hunt seals and live on their own.
"It's just nice to know that the animals are looking out for each other," added the researcher.
