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Scientists monitoring free-roaming polar bears in Canada's northern regions observed something remarkably uncommon this fall: a mother bear taking in a cub that was not biologically her own.

The half-decade-old mother and her nearly year-old cubs were spotted and filmed during the yearly polar bear journey along the Western Hudson Bay near the Manitoba town of Churchill, an area renowned for its concentration of Arctic bears.

"This is uncommon," 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."

This represents only the 13th known case of fostering out of 4,600 bears studied for almost fifty years in the area.

The female bear was initially tagged as she emerged from her birthing den this spring. Initially, she had one cub, which researchers tagged for study.

In the fall, she was seen again, but this time with a pair of cubs - the initially tagged cub and a second that was untagged. Scientists aren't sure what happened to the new cub's biological mother, but they are trying to identify her using genetic samples.

"The bears need every advantage they can get in the current era with a warming climate," noted a polar bear scientist. "If females have the chance 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 natural world only have a 50% chance of living into maturity, but having a maternal figure caring for them boosts their odds.

The young bears appear to be in good condition, according to experts, and they will probably remain with their adoptive mother until they are about two-and-a-half years old.

Following this, the bear family is anticipated to head out to sea ice, where the cubs will be taught from their mother bear how to catch prey and live on their own.

"It is heartening to know that the animals are looking out for each other," added the scientist.