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Researchers tracking wild polar bears in Canada's northern regions observed something exceedingly rare this fall: a female bear adopting 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 filmed during the annual polar bear migration along the Western Hudson Bay near the Manitoba town of Churchill, an locale renowned for its concentration of Arctic bears.

"This is uncommon," remarked a scientist with an international bear organization. "We don't really know why it occurs...but we know it is a rare event at all."

This represents only the 13th known case of fostering out of nearly five thousand bears researched for almost fifty years in that region.

The female bear was initially tagged as she came out from her maternity den this springtime. At the time, she had a single offspring, which researchers marked for research.

In the autumn, she was seen again, but this time with a pair of cubs - the original cub and another without a tag. Scientists are uncertain what became of the new 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 a warming climate," commented a polar bear scientist. "If females have the opportunity to take in an additional youngster and raise it and successfully wean it, it's a good thing for the bears."

Polar bears in the natural world only have a 50% chance of surviving into maturity, but having a maternal figure providing care boosts their odds.

The cubs appear to be in good condition, according to experts, and they will likely stay with their adoptive mother until they are about two-and-a-half years old.

Next, the bear family is anticipated to head out to the frozen ocean, where the cubs will learn from their mother how to hunt seals and survive on their own.

"It's just nice to know that the bears are caring for each other," added the scientist.