THE first polar bear cub born in the UK for 25 years is to move from his Scottish home to a wildlife park in England.
Hamish will leave Highland Wildlife Park near Kingussie in the autumn and move to Yorkshire Wildlife Park’s Project Polar habitat after a recommendation from the European Endangered Species Programme.
Born on December 18, 2017, he shares an enclosure with his mother Victoria and is now bigger than her.
Rachel Williams, senior animal keeper at Highland Wildlife Park, said: “In the wild, polar bear cubs will stay with their mothers for two to three years so this is a natural time for Hamish to be moving on and I’m sure Victoria will appreciate some peace and quiet.
“It has been an incredible two and a half years watching him grow and he will be missed by everyone here at the park.
“There’s still time for visitors to come and say goodbye before Hamish leaves at the end of October, he is still a very playful bear.”
The exact date of Hamish’s departure from Highland Wildlife Park, run by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), is still to be confirmed.
David Field, RZSS chief executive, said: “Hamish has made a tremendous impression on the thousands of people who visited the park since his birth two and a half years ago and the billions who saw the news around the world.”
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