Abridged from the blog, looking ahead to this year; Early 2015 will also see the arrival of a female polar bear at Highland Wildlife Park. Her large enclosure has been completed and is ready to house the new arrival. This will be a very significant move and will, we hope, help towards securing the future of this species, which is threatened by habitat destruction and global warming. If she settles quickly into her new home, introductions to one of the polar bear males may happen as early as April. It is still incredible to think that we may even have polar bear cubs as early as December at Highland Wildlife Park. The last polar bear cub born in the UK was 23 years ago. Highland Wildlife Park also is likely to get a new male European grey wolf this year and a new female wolverine. The snow leopard enclosure that we announced towards at the end of last year is likely to be completed by early summer, with a male and female arriving from the European breeding programme before this date. In addition we have high hopes for a new pair of European beavers we established at the Park last year, with kits perhaps being born as early as May.
From the blog; We have just received approval from the Indian Central Zoo Authority to send them another two female satyr tragopans for their conservation programme in Darjeeling. One bird hatched in the Highlands in 2014 and another is from a World Pheasant Association member.
Fantastic news about the female Polar Bear & Snow Leopards. They seem to have happened very quickly. Can't wait for our annual visit later in the year!
Indeed, this collection appears to be going from strength-to-strength!Shame I don't live closer. Where was the last polar bear cub born? And, blue-sky thinking, are there plans to expand beyond the park's Eurasia theme-Rockies, Andes or Ethiopian highlands perhaps?
are the males / female going to be moved across to each other once the female is settled so they can breed
I think the last polar bear born and raised in the UK was at Edinburgh zoo. I spoke to Doug Richardson a few years back about the vicuna group and there were no plans to extend the collection beyond the all male group of vicuna into new world species. A male will be introduced to the female in her enclosure.
One Snow Leopard will come from Marwell when the enclosure is ready. Brilliant news about a female Polar Bear!
...and she's left Aalborg this afternoon not long to go now Bit of background on Victoria - she was born at Rostock in December 1996 before going to Aalborg in 1998. Since then she has been one of their breeding females and has produced several cubs in the past
Thanks for the explanation. I did think it was an extreme coincidence but hadn't twigged what has probably happened.
Work also being carried out on the pond in the male polar bear enclosure; Highland Wildlife Park ? Polar Bear Webcam
This bit: Until about a year ago, there was another female polar bear living in the UK; Zara at Heythrop Zoo!
Well spotted. I guess I just imagined that it said last female in a UK zoo, especially as they have normally made the distinction in pretty much all the previous polar bear press releases.
