Adoption in Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus)

We observed a case of adoption of a single four-month-old polar bear cub (Ursus maritimus) into an existing litter of two cubs on Hopen Island, Svalbard. We believe the high density of maternity dens in the study area may increase the likelihood of natural adoption. Speculation about theoretical imp...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Derocher, A.E., Wiig, Ø.
Format: Other/Unknown Material
Language:English
Published: 1999
Subjects:
Ursus maritimus
Capture
Adoption
Barents Sea
Svalbard
Polar bears
Handling
Hopen
Hopen island
Online Access:https://era.library.ualberta.ca/items/7e50d2f4-b972-4c68-bb3f-3343d68b02d7
https://doi.org/10.7939/R37P8TQ5Q
Description
Summary:We observed a case of adoption of a single four-month-old polar bear cub (Ursus maritimus) into an existing litter of two cubs on Hopen Island, Svalbard. We believe the high density of maternity dens in the study area may increase the likelihood of natural adoption. Speculation about theoretical implications of adoption is of scientific interest. However, we believe that the probability of adoption may increase when family groups are captured, and the scientific interpretation of such events is of questionable value. We urge researchers to exercise caution in handling family groups in high-density den areas.

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