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Scientists monitoring wild polar bears in Canada's northern regions observed something exceedingly rare this autumn: a mother bear taking in a cub that was not biologically 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 migration along the Western Hudson Bay near the Manitoba town of Churchill, an area known for its concentration of Arctic bears.

"It's unusual," stated a scientist with a polar bear conservation group. "We don't really know why it occurs...but we know it doesn't happen often at all."

This represents only the 13th known case of fostering out of nearly five thousand bears researched for almost fifty years in that region.

The mother bear was first captured as she emerged from her birthing den this springtime. Initially, she had one cub, which researchers tagged for study.

In the fall, 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 second cub's birth mother, but they are trying to locate her using DNA analysis.

"The bears need every advantage they can get these days with a warming climate," commented a polar bear scientist. "When mother bears have the opportunity to pick up 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 50% chance of surviving into maturity, but having a mother providing care improves their chances.

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

Following this, the family is anticipated to venture out to the frozen ocean, where the youngsters will learn from their mother how to hunt seals and live on their own.

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