Researchers in Canada have observed a very rare case of a polar bear adopting a cub it did not give birth to in the country’s north, an event that does not happen often in the world of polar predators.
It was stated: “Only 13 cases of this type have been recorded over 45 years.”
The story began last November when a researcher and his team managed to capture a bear with two cubs near the city of Churchill, nicknamed the “Polar Bear Capital of the World.” The team noticed an age difference between the two cubs (one 10 months old and the other 11 months old), and more importantly, that one bore a previous identification tag while the other did not.
It was explained that the mother herself had been seen a few months earlier with only one cub, confirming the adoption hypothesis. It was added: “It’s a wonderful story; these bears possess an amazing maternal instinct, as they are naturally equipped to care for their young.”
Tracking operations via GPS collars and observations confirmed that the female kept both cubs with her for consecutive weeks.
Despite a 30% decline in polar bear numbers in western Hudson Bay since the 1980s due to ice melt, it was confirmed that “there is no evidence linking this adoption case to climate change.”
Search for the biological mother
The adopted cub is currently undergoing precise genetic testing to determine its biological mother, with a Canadian scientist indicating a “high probability of discovering its identity.” This area is noted as being home to the “best-studied polar bear population in the world,” with more than 4,600 bears observed there over the past four decades.
Canada
Canada is a country in North America formed through the union of British and French colonial territories, becoming a self-governing dominion in 1867. It is known for its vast natural landscapes, multicultural society, and a historical development deeply shaped by Indigenous peoples, colonization, and subsequent immigration.
Churchill
Winston Churchill is best known as the British Prime Minister who led the United Kingdom through World War II, renowned for his resolute leadership and powerful oratory. While not a physical place, his legacy is commemorated at sites like the Churchill War Rooms in London, an underground bunker complex from which he directed the war effort.
Polar Bear Capital of the World
Churchill, Manitoba, is a small town on the western shore of Hudson Bay in Canada, renowned as the “Polar Bear Capital of the World” due to the large number of polar bears that congregate nearby each autumn. This occurs as the bears wait for the bay to freeze so they can hunt seals, and the area’s history with the bears has led to the development of specialized tundra vehicle tours and a polar bear alert system for safety.
California
California is a state on the west coast of the United States, originally inhabited by numerous Native American tribes before becoming a Spanish colony and later part of Mexico. It was annexed by the U.S. in 1848, the same year the Gold Rush sparked a massive population boom and rapid development. Today, it is known globally for its economic, technological, and cultural influence.
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay is a large inland sea in northeastern Canada, named after the explorer Henry Hudson who charted parts of it in 1610. Historically, it was the epicenter of the North American fur trade in the 17th and 18th centuries, governed by the Hudson’s Bay Company which was granted a vast trading monopoly over its surrounding watershed.
