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

The half-decade-old maternal bear and her nearly year-old cubs were observed and captured on camera during the yearly polar bear journey along the Hudson Bay's western shore near Churchill, Manitoba, an locale renowned for its polar bear population.

"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 adoption out of 4,600 bears studied for almost fifty years in the area.

The mother bear was initially tagged as she emerged from her birthing den this spring. Initially, she had one cub, which scientists tagged for study.

In the fall, she was spotted once more, but this time with two cubs - the initially tagged cub and another that was untagged. Scientists aren't sure what became of the second cub's biological mother, but they are attempting to locate her using DNA analysis.

"These animals need every advantage they can get these days with climate change," noted a wildlife biologist. "When mother bears have the opportunity to take in another cub and raise it and successfully wean it, it's a good thing for the bears."

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

The cubs appear to be healthy, 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 expected to venture out to the frozen ocean, where the cubs will be taught 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 researcher.