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Scientists monitoring wild polar bears in northern Canada observed something remarkably uncommon this fall: a mother bear taking in a cub that was not biologically her own.

The five-year-old maternal bear and her nearly year-old cubs were spotted and filmed during the annual polar bear migration along the Western Hudson Bay near Churchill, Manitoba, an locale renowned for its polar bear population.

"This is uncommon," remarked a scientist with a polar bear conservation group. "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 adoption out of 4,600 bears researched for almost fifty years in the area.

The mother bear was first captured as she emerged from her maternity den this spring. At the time, she had one cub, which scientists tagged for research.

In the fall, she was seen again, but this time with a pair of cubs - the original cub and another without a tag. Researchers aren't sure what happened to the new cub's biological mother, but they are trying to locate her using genetic samples.

"These animals need every advantage they can get these days with climate change," commented a polar bear scientist. "When mother bears have the chance to take in an additional youngster and raise it and see it to independence, it's a good thing for the population."

Polar bears in the wild only have a fifty-fifty survival rate of surviving into adulthood, but having a maternal figure providing care improves their odds.

The cubs are reported as in good condition, according to experts, and they will probably stay with their mother until they are about 30 months of age.

Following this, the family is expected to head out to sea ice, where the youngsters will learn from their mother bear how to hunt seals and live on their own.

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