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Scientists monitoring free-roaming polar bears in northern Canada observed something exceedingly rare this autumn: a female bear adopting a cub that was not biologically her own.

The five-year-old mother and her nearly year-old cubs were spotted and filmed during the annual polar bear journey along the Western Hudson Bay near the Manitoba town of Churchill, an area known for its polar bear population.

"This is uncommon," remarked a scientist 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 nearly five thousand bears researched for nearly five decades in that region.

The female bear was first captured as she emerged from her birthing den this springtime. Initially, she had a single offspring, which researchers tagged for study.

In the autumn, she was spotted once more, but this time with a pair of cubs - the original cub and another without a tag. Scientists are uncertain what became of the second cub's biological mother, but they are attempting to locate her using DNA analysis.

"The bears need every advantage they can get these days with climate change," noted a wildlife biologist. "When mother bears have the opportunity to take in an additional youngster and raise it and see it to independence, it's a positive development for the population."

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

The young bears are reported as healthy, according to experts, and they will probably remain with their mother until they are about 30 months of age.

Next, the bear family is expected to venture out to the frozen ocean, where the cubs will learn 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.