Arctic Bear Mother Takes In Cub in Rarely Recorded Instance
Scientists tracking free-roaming polar bears in northern Canada witnessed something remarkably uncommon this autumn: a mother 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 filmed during the yearly polar bear migration along the Western Hudson Bay near the Manitoba town of Churchill, an area known for its polar bear population.
"It's unusual," stated a researcher with a polar bear conservation group. "We don't really know why it happens...but we know it is a rare event at all."
This represents only the thirteenth documented instance of adoption out of 4,600 bears researched for nearly five decades in that region.
The mother bear was first captured as she emerged from her birthing den this spring. At the time, she had one cub, which researchers marked for research.
In the fall, she was spotted once more, but this time with two cubs - the initially tagged cub and a second without a tag. Researchers aren't sure what happened to the new cub's birth mother, but they are attempting to identify her using genetic samples.
"These animals need every advantage they can get these days with climate change," noted a polar bear scientist. "When mother bears have the opportunity to pick up an additional youngster and care for it and successfully wean it, it's a good thing for the population."
Polar bears in the natural world only have a 50% chance of surviving into maturity, but having a maternal figure caring for them improves their chances.
The cubs appear to be healthy, researchers said, and they will probably stay with their adoptive mother until they are about two-and-a-half years old.
Next, the bear family is anticipated to venture out to sea ice, where the youngsters will learn from their mother how to catch prey and survive on their own.
"It is heartening to know that the bears are looking out for each other," added the scientist.
