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Researchers tracking wild polar bears in northern Canada witnessed something exceedingly rare this autumn: a female bear taking in a cub that was not biologically her own.

The half-decade-old mother and her 10- to 11-month-old cubs were spotted and captured on camera during the yearly polar bear journey along the Western Hudson Bay near the Manitoba town of Churchill, an locale known for its polar bear population.

"It's unusual," stated a scientist with an international bear organization. "We don't really know why it happens...but we know it doesn't happen often at all."

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

The mother bear was initially tagged 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 original cub and a second without a tag. Scientists aren't sure what became of the second cub's birth mother, but they are attempting to locate her using genetic samples.

"These animals need all the help they can get in the current era with climate change," commented a polar bear scientist. "When mother bears have the opportunity to take in an additional youngster and care for it and successfully wean it, it's a good thing for the population."

Polar bears in the wild only have a 50% chance of surviving into adulthood, but having a mother providing care boosts their chances.

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

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

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