This post was originally published on this site.
In a rarely documented case, a polar bear in northern Canada has adopted a cub that is not biologically her own.
The mother bear was first observed this spring as she emerged from her maternity den with a single cub, which scientists tagged for study. When she was seen again, she was accompanied by two cubs.
Scientists say it is unclear what happened to the adopted cub’s biological mother, but they are trying to identify her with genetic samples.
