First polar bear cub to be born in UK for 25 years arrives at new home at Yorkshire Wildlife Park

Hamish, who is now two-and-a-half years old, is at an age where cubs in the wild leave their mothers.

He used to share an enclosure with his mother Victoria at the Highland Wildlife Park near Aviemore, in Scotland.

While his father, Arktos, lives in an enclosure in another part of the park.

But playful Hamish has now moved to his new home in Doncaster's Yorkshire Wildlife Park, where he'll be joining four other polar bears to be his pals.

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) had always planned to move him to another zoo once he was old enough to leave his mother.

In the wild, polar bear cubs usually leave their mothers after two to three years.

Hamish was born in December 2017 and his name was chosen through a public vote.

Rachel Williams, senior animal keeper at Highland Wildlife Park, said the "playful" bear would be missed by everyone at the park.

She said, “It has been an incredible two and a half years watching Hamish grow. He is a very playful bear who will be missed by everyone here at the park.

"Hamish has made a tremendous impression on the thousands of people who visited the park since his birth and helped to highlight the threats many species face in the wild.

“It is exciting to see him moving on and playing his part in the European Endangered Species Programme.

“We’re sure Victoria will appreciate some peace and quiet before any next steps in the breeding programme. All being well, we hope to pair her with Arktos again next year.”

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