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Researchers tracking wild polar bears in Canada's northern regions observed something remarkably uncommon this fall: a female bear adopting a cub that was not biologically her own.

The five-year-old mother and her nearly year-old cubs were spotted and captured on camera during the annual polar bear migration along the Western Hudson Bay near Churchill, Manitoba, an locale known 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."

It's only the thirteenth documented instance of adoption out of nearly five thousand bears studied for almost fifty years in the area.

The mother bear was initially tagged as she emerged from her birthing den this springtime. At the time, she had a single offspring, which researchers marked for research.

In the autumn, she was seen again, but this time with two cubs - the initially tagged cub and another that was untagged. Researchers aren't sure what became of the new cub's biological mother, but they are attempting to locate her using DNA analysis.

"The bears need all the help they can get these days with a warming climate," noted a polar bear scientist. "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 population."

Polar bears in the natural world only have a 50% chance of surviving into maturity, but having a mother providing care boosts their odds.

The young bears 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 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 survive on their own.

"It is heartening to know that the bears are looking out for each other," concluded the researcher.