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Scientists monitoring wild polar bears in Canada's northern regions observed something exceedingly rare this fall: a female bear taking in a cub that was not genetically her own.

The half-decade-old mother and her 10- to 11-month-old cubs were spotted and captured on camera during the yearly polar bear journey along the Hudson Bay's western shore near Churchill, Manitoba, an locale known for its polar bear population.

"This is uncommon," stated a researcher with an international bear organization. "The reasons are unclear why it occurs...but we know it doesn't happen often at all."

It's only the 13th known case of fostering out of 4,600 bears researched for nearly five decades in that region.

The mother bear was first captured as she came out from her birthing den this springtime. Initially, she had a single offspring, which researchers marked for study.

In the fall, she was spotted once more, but this time with a pair of cubs - the original cub and a second that was untagged. Scientists are uncertain what became of the new cub's biological mother, but they are trying to identify her using DNA analysis.

"These animals need all the help they can get in the current era with climate change," commented a polar bear scientist. "When mother bears have the chance to take in another cub and raise it and see it to independence, it's a good thing for the population."

Polar bears in the natural world only have a fifty-fifty survival rate of surviving into adulthood, but having a mother providing care improves their chances.

The young bears are reported as in good condition, researchers said, and they will likely stay with their mother until they are about two-and-a-half years old.

Following this, the bear family is expected to head out to the frozen ocean, where the youngsters will learn from their mother how to catch prey and survive on their own.

"It's just nice to know that the bears are looking out for each other," added the researcher.