Mother bear adopts orphaned cub in Russia's Far East

"Such a case is the rarest exception from the law of the wild in a bear's life. Usually an orphaned bear cub does not have any chance of survival. They can be killed by adult bears, female bears and other bear cubs," the spokesman for the Kronotsky National Nature Reserve in southern Kamchatka told RIA Novosti.

He said the young bear was born last winter and appeared in the female bear's brood around two months ago.

"This case is absolutely unique," the spokesman said, adding that the female bear pays even more attention to the adopted cub than her own cubs.

Reserve employees said that cases of cannibalism were frequent among bears, and the victims were not just cubs but also female bears, which is why there are orphaned cubs of varying ages; Kazinform cites RIA Novosti. See www.en.rian.ru for full version.