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Researchers monitoring free-roaming 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 half-decade-old maternal bear and her 10- to 11-month-old cubs were observed and captured on camera during the annual polar bear journey along the Western Hudson Bay near Churchill, Manitoba, an area 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 is a rare event at all."

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

The mother bear was first captured as she came out from her maternity den this springtime. Initially, she had a single offspring, which scientists tagged for research.

In the autumn, she was spotted once more, but this time with two cubs - the initially tagged cub and another without a tag. Scientists aren't sure what happened to the second cub's birth mother, but they are attempting to identify her using genetic samples.

"These animals need every advantage they can get these days with climate change," noted a wildlife biologist. "When mother bears have the chance to pick up an additional youngster and raise it and see it to independence, it's a positive development for the population."

Polar bears in the natural world only have a fifty-fifty survival rate of living into maturity, but having a maternal figure caring for them boosts their odds.

The young bears appear to be healthy, researchers said, and they will likely stay 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 how to hunt seals and survive on their own.

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