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Scientists monitoring free-roaming polar bears in Canada's northern regions witnessed something remarkably uncommon this autumn: a mother bear taking in a cub that was not biologically her own.

The five-year-old mother and her 10- to 11-month-old cubs were spotted and filmed during the yearly polar bear migration along the Hudson Bay's western shore near the Manitoba town of Churchill, an locale renowned for its concentration of Arctic bears.

"This is uncommon," stated a researcher with an international bear organization. "The reasons are unclear why it happens...but we know it doesn't happen often at all."

This represents only the 13th known case of adoption out of 4,600 bears studied for almost fifty years in the area.

The female bear was first captured as she emerged from her birthing den this spring. Initially, she had a single offspring, which scientists tagged for study.

In the fall, she was seen again, but this time with a pair of cubs - the initially tagged cub and another that was untagged. Researchers aren't sure what happened to the second cub's biological mother, but they are trying to identify her using DNA analysis.

"The bears need all the help they can get in the current era with a warming climate," commented a wildlife biologist. "When mother bears have the chance 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 adulthood, but having a maternal figure providing care improves their chances.

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

Following this, the bear family is anticipated to venture out to the frozen ocean, where the youngsters will be taught from their mother how to catch prey and live on their own.

"It is heartening to know that the bears are caring for each other," concluded the scientist.