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Researchers tracking wild polar bears in northern Canada witnessed something remarkably uncommon this fall: a female bear taking in a cub that was not genetically her own.

The half-decade-old maternal bear and her 10- to 11-month-old cubs were observed and captured on camera during the annual polar bear journey along the Hudson Bay's western shore near the Manitoba town of Churchill, an area renowned for its polar bear population.

"It's unusual," remarked a scientist with a polar bear conservation group. "The reasons are unclear why it occurs...but we know it is a rare event at all."

This represents only the thirteenth documented instance of adoption out of 4,600 bears studied for almost fifty years in that region.

The mother bear was initially tagged as she came out from her birthing den this springtime. Initially, she had one cub, which scientists marked for research.

In the fall, she was spotted once more, but this time with two cubs - the initially tagged cub and a second that was untagged. Scientists aren't sure what happened to the new cub's biological mother, but they are attempting to identify her using genetic samples.

"These animals need every advantage they can get in the current era with a warming climate," commented a wildlife biologist. "If females have the chance to pick up another cub and care for it and see it to independence, it's a good thing for the population."

Polar bears in the wild only have a 50% chance of living into maturity, but having a mother providing care improves their chances.

The young bears appear to be healthy, researchers said, and they will likely remain with their mother until they are about 30 months of age.

Following this, the family is expected 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 caring for each other," concluded the scientist.