Bear Cub Adopted in Rare and Adorable Occurrence

One of the premier locations in the world to witness brown bears is Brooks Camp in Alaska. The camp is located where the Brooks River flows into Naknek Lake. Here, brown bears are a common sight from July to September. However, recently a rare sight has warmed wildlife officials’ hearts. They observed the adoption of one bear cub by her aunt. 

The cub’s biological mother, bear 909, and aunt (bear 910) are sisters. Although they had cubs in different years, the two helped raise each other’s young as part of a family unit last year. This year, they continued to do so. However, bear 909 soon left her two-and-a-half-year-old cub. This is normal according to the U.S National Park Service. They state that “Cubs will stay with their mother for about two years learning survival skills. After two or three years, a female bear is ready to mate again.” Despite this timeline, bear 909’s cub was not quite ready to strike out on her own.

View this post on Instagram

So, the cub stayed with her aunt, bear 910, and younger cousin. The adopted cub has even been observed nursing from bear 910. The new family appears to have bonded well and sleeps, fishes, and eats together. In adorable photos posted by Katmai National Park & Preserve, the two cousins can be seen resting their heads together. 

According to park officials, adoption is rare among brown bears. This makes this story that much more heartwarming and special to witness. Sadly, according to the World Wildlife Foundation, Alaskan brown bears in Southwest portions of the state may soon face threats from the development of copper and gold mines. Brown bears are large animals with big appetites who require vast natural areas. They are important predators and act as indicator species for many other types of animals. 

Sign this petition to Stop the Hunting of Alaskan Brown Bears.

Animals Are My Favorite People by Tiny Rescue: Animal Collection

Related Content: 

• Mother and Son Fined $15,000 for Poaching Two Black Bear Cubs
• Orphaned Polar Bear Cub Captured and Brought to Alaska Zoo in Rare Decision
• Black Bear Cub Tortured to Death After Innocently Wandering Into Town to Find Water
• Bear Cub Rescued With Head Stuck in Plastic Jar
• Lost Black Bear Cub Rescued After Starving for 3 Days

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade over and over again.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!