Polar Bear Mother Adopts Youngster in Infrequently Recorded Case
Researchers tracking free-roaming polar bears in Canada's northern regions witnessed something remarkably uncommon this autumn: a mother bear adopting a cub that was not genetically her own.
The half-decade-old maternal bear and her 10- to 11-month-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 polar bear population.
"This is uncommon," stated a researcher with a polar bear conservation group. "The reasons are unclear why it happens...but we know it is a rare event at all."
This represents only the 13th known case of fostering out of 4,600 bears studied for nearly five decades in that region.
The female bear was initially tagged as she came out from her maternity den this springtime. At the time, she had one cub, which researchers tagged for study.
In the autumn, she was seen again, but this time with a pair of cubs - the original cub and a second without a tag. Scientists aren't sure what became of the second cub's biological mother, but they are trying to identify her using genetic samples.
"The bears need every advantage they can get in the current era with climate change," noted a wildlife biologist. "If females have the chance to take in 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 mother caring for them boosts their odds.
The young bears 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 bear family is anticipated to head out to sea ice, where the cubs will be taught from their mother bear how to hunt seals and survive on their own.
"It is heartening to know that the bears are caring for each other," added the scientist.
