Polar Bear in Canada Adopts Non-Biological Cub in Rare Observation

In a rare observation, researchers in Canada witnessed a polar bear adopting a cub that was not her biological offspring, marking one of only 13 recorded instances over the past 45 years.

Evan Richardson, a researcher with the Canadian Environmental Agency and a polar bear expert for 25 years, informed AFP, "This is one of only 13 cases documented in 45 years."

The event took place last November near Churchill, Manitoba, often referred to as the "polar bear capital of the world."

The research team observed a bear with two cubs, one aged 10 months and the other 11 months. Notably, one of the cubs bore an identification tag while the other did not, and the bear had previously been seen with only one cub.

In this region, researchers utilize tagging to monitor polar bears throughout their lives, employing collars with Global Positioning System (GPS) technology in partnership with Polar Bears International, an organization dedicated to polar bear research.

Richardson described the bear's nurturing behavior as "amazing," noting that polar bears possess a strong maternal instinct that allows them to care for young bears that are not biologically theirs.

This incident occurs against the backdrop of a 30% decline in polar bear populations in western Hudson Bay over recent decades, with numbers dropping from approximately 1,200 bears in the 1980s to around 800 today, largely due to rapid ice melting, which is critical for their survival.

Currently, there is no evidence linking this adoption behavior to climate change. Researchers are conducting genetic tests to identify the biological mother of the adopted cub, with a strong likelihood of success.

In total, over 4,600 polar bears have been studied in this area, making it, according to Richardson, "the most extensively studied polar bear population in the world."