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

The five-year-old maternal bear 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 area known for its concentration of Arctic bears.

"This is uncommon," remarked a scientist with an international bear organization. "The reasons are unclear why it happens...but we know it is a rare event at all."

It's only the 13th known case of fostering out of nearly five thousand bears researched for nearly five decades in the area.

The female bear was initially tagged as she emerged from her maternity den this spring. At the time, she had one cub, which scientists tagged for study.

In the fall, she was seen again, but this time with a pair of cubs - the original cub and another that was untagged. Scientists are uncertain what became of the new cub's biological mother, but they are trying to identify her using genetic samples.

"These animals need all the help they can get these days with climate change," noted a polar bear scientist. "If females have the chance to take in another cub and raise it and successfully wean it, it's a positive development for the bears."

Polar bears in the wild only have a 50% chance of surviving into maturity, but having a maternal figure providing care improves their chances.

The young bears are reported as healthy, researchers said, and they will likely remain with their adoptive mother until they are about two-and-a-half years old.

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

"It's just nice to know that the animals are looking out for each other," concluded the scientist.