What happened with the polar bear in Canada?

A polar bear was observed adopting a cub that she did not give birth to, a rare event documented only 13 times in 45 years.

Why is this event significant?

This event is significant as it highlights the maternal instincts of polar bears and raises questions about their behavior, especially in the context of declining populations.

Who is involved in this observation?

Researchers from the Canadian Environmental Agency, including Ivan Richardson, observed this event near Churchill, Manitoba.

What are the implications of this adoption?

The adoption may suggest adaptive behavior in response to environmental challenges, although researchers have not yet established a link to climate change.

What is the current status of the polar bear population in the region?

The polar bear population in the western Hudson Bay area has declined by 30% over recent decades, from about 1,200 bears to approximately 800.

Rare Polar Bear Adoption Observed in Canada

In a rare occurrence, researchers in Canada have documented a polar bear adopting a cub that she did not give birth to, marking one of only 13 such cases recorded over 45 years.

Ivan Richardson, a researcher with the Canadian Environmental Agency who has studied polar bears for 25 years, told AFP: "Only 13 cases of this nature have been documented in 45 years."

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

The research team observed a female polar bear with two cubs, one aged 10 months and the other 11 months.

They noted that one of the cubs bore an identification mark, while the other did not, indicating that the mother had previously been seen with only one cub a few months earlier.

In this northern area, researchers mark polar bears to monitor them throughout their lives. This allows the team to track the cubs using collars equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, in collaboration with the organization Polar Bears International, which focuses on polar bear research.

Richardson emphasized that the bear has kept the cubs with her for several weeks, describing this behavior as "astonishing" and noting that polar bears possess a strong maternal instinct that enables them to care for young that are not biologically theirs.

This phenomenon occurs amid a significant decline in the polar bear population in the western Hudson Bay area, which has decreased by 30% over the past few decades, from approximately 1,200 bears in the 1980s to around 800 today, largely due to rapid ice melt that is critical for their survival.

Despite these environmental challenges, there is currently no evidence linking this adoption behavior to climate change.

The researchers are conducting genetic tests to identify the biological mother of the adopted cub, with a high likelihood of determining its identity.

Over the past 45 years, more than 4,600 polar bears have been observed in the region, making it, according to Richardson, "the best-studied group of polar bears in the world."