Polar Ursine Mother Takes In Cub in Infrequently Recorded Case
Scientists tracking free-roaming polar bears in northern Canada witnessed something remarkably uncommon this fall: a female bear adopting a cub that was not genetically her own.
The five-year-old mother and her nearly year-old cubs were spotted and captured on camera during the yearly polar bear migration along the Western Hudson Bay near the Manitoba town of Churchill, an area known for its concentration of Arctic bears.
"This is uncommon," remarked a scientist with a polar bear conservation group. "We don't really know why it happens...but we know it is a rare event at all."
It's only the 13th known case of fostering out of 4,600 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. Initially, she had a single offspring, which scientists tagged for research.
In the autumn, she was seen again, but this time with two cubs - the initially tagged cub and another that was untagged. Scientists aren't sure what became of the second cub's biological mother, but they are attempting to identify her using DNA analysis.
"The bears need every advantage they can get in the current era with a warming climate," commented a polar bear scientist. "When mother bears have the chance to take in another cub and care for it and successfully wean it, it's a good thing for the bears."
Polar bears in the wild only have a 50% chance of surviving into adulthood, but having a maternal figure providing care boosts their odds.
The cubs are reported as healthy, according to experts, and they will probably remain with their adoptive mother until they are about two-and-a-half years old.
Next, the family is expected to head out to the frozen ocean, where the cubs will be taught from their mother bear how to catch prey and live on their own.
"It's just nice to know that the bears are caring for each other," concluded the researcher.
