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Scientists tracking wild polar bears in northern Canada witnessed something remarkably uncommon this fall: a mother bear taking in 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 yearly polar bear migration along the Western Hudson Bay near Churchill, Manitoba, an area renowned for its concentration of Arctic bears.

"This is uncommon," stated a researcher 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 fostering out of 4,600 bears researched for almost fifty years in the area.

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

In the fall, she was seen again, but this time with two cubs - the initially tagged cub and another without a tag. 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 in the current era with climate change," noted a wildlife biologist. "If females have the chance to pick up an additional youngster and care for it and see it to independence, it's a positive development for the bears."

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

The young bears appear to be in good condition, according to experts, and they will likely remain with their adoptive mother until they are about 30 months of age.

Following this, the bear family is anticipated to head 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's just nice to know that the animals are caring for each other," added the scientist.