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Scientists tracking wild polar bears in Canada's northern regions observed something exceedingly rare this autumn: 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 yearly polar bear migration along the Western Hudson Bay near Churchill, Manitoba, an area renowned for its concentration of Arctic bears.

"It's unusual," remarked a researcher with an international bear organization. "We don't really know why it happens...but we know it doesn't happen often at all."

This represents only the 13th known case of adoption out of nearly five thousand bears studied for nearly five decades in that region.

The mother bear was first captured as she came out from her maternity den this springtime. Initially, she had a single offspring, which researchers tagged for study.

In the fall, she was spotted once more, but this time with a pair of cubs - the original cub and a second that was untagged. Researchers are uncertain what happened to the new cub's birth mother, but they are trying to identify her using DNA analysis.

"These animals need all the help they can get in the current era with climate change," commented a polar bear scientist. "If females have the opportunity to take in 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 surviving into adulthood, but having a mother providing care improves their chances.

The young bears appear to be in good condition, according to experts, and they will probably remain with their adoptive mother until they are about 30 months of age.

Next, the bear family is anticipated to venture out to sea ice, where the cubs will be taught from their mother bear how to catch prey and survive on their own.

"It's just nice to know that the bears are looking out for each other," concluded the scientist.