Highland Wildlife Park voted the best day out in Scotland

Highland Wildlife Park voted the best day out in Scotland

RZSS Highland Wildlife Park has been named by the public as the ‘Best Day Out’ in Scotland at the 2017 Scottish Hospitality Awards.

The second Scottish Hospitality Awards were held on the evening of 26  June at the Crowne Plaza, Glasgow, with members of the RZSS Highland Wildlife Park team in attendance to receive the award. The award recognises and rewards those within the hospitality industry that work hard to give their customers the very best experience.

Daska Mackintosh, Head of Operations and Visitors Services at RZSS Highland Wildlife Park, said:

“We are thrilled to have been voted the Best Day Out in Scotland by the public at the Scottish Hospitality Awards. It is another great achievement for RZSS Highland Wildlife Park, building on a very successful year.

“With many of our endangered species giving birth and a record number of visitors, there has been lots to celebrate.  It’s fantastic to have our team’s hard work recognised on a national level and to highlight the Park as a wonderful day out.”

RZSS Highland Wildlife Park has been open to visitors for over 40 years, having been established in 1976. Based in the spectacular setting of the Cairngorms National Park, it is home to over 200 rare and endangered animals, some of which you cannot see anywhere else in Scotland. RZSS Highland Wildlife Park welcomed over 136,000 guests last year to view some of the world’s rarest and most endangered animals in naturalistic enclosures.

The Park excels in bringing visitors closer to nature, by creating a raw and authentic Highland adventure. These amazing, close-up animal encounters, together with talk programmes and animal feeds hosted by the Park’s expert keepers, give our visitors the opportunity to engage with the world of animals in a completely unique way. From amazing Amur tigers to playful polar bears, the site cares for many threatened species and provides a visitor experience which truly inspires.

RZSS Highland Wildlife Park is owned by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. RZSS is one of Scotland’s leading conservation charities, working both here in Scotland and in over 20 countries around the world. Our mission is to connect people with nature and safeguarding threatened species.

Peter Dickinson Independent International Zoo Consultant +971 50 4787 122 | elvinhow@gmail.com | Skype: peter.dickinson48

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Critically Endangered Scottish Wildcat Kittens Born

     Critically Endangered Scottish Wildcat Kittens Born

RZSS Highland Wildlife Park is pleased to welcome three young Scottish wildcat kittens to the Park. Also known as the Highland Tiger, this incredibly rare, native species is facing the very real threat of extinction due to hybridisation with domestic and feral cats, habitat loss and accidental persecution. However, with coordinated conservation efforts and a new conservation breeding programme for eventual release now established, the future for the species is looking much brighter.

The three young kittens were born at the end of April, but spent the first couple of months safely tucked away in their den with their mother Betidh, only recently starting to wander out and explore their territory. This year’s births add to a long line of successful breeding at RZSS Highland Wildlife Park, which has been instrumental in maintaining a healthy captive population which acts as a safety net for the species.

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, along with more than 20 other organisations, is involved in the Scottish Wildcat Action, a partnership project – supported by Scottish Government and the Heritage Lottery Fund – which represents the best chance the wildcat has of surviving in the long term. The project includes many of Scotland’s leading conservationists, working together with local people to save the Scottish wildcat. The Priority Areas Team, which is part of the project, is working hard to reduce the threats that wildcats face in the wild, which includes extensive neutering of feral and poor hybrid cats to prevent further hybridisation, whilst the Royal Zoological Society is undertaking a new conservation breeding programme to build up a robust and sustainable population for future release.

Photo credit Alex Riddell/RZSS

David Barclay, RZSS Cat Conservation Project Officer commented on the recent arrivals: “Without Scottish Wildcat Action the future of the Scottish wildcat is bleak. The team is working hard all over Scotland to ensure measures are put in place to reduce threats, raise awareness and protect the remaining wild population. With such a small and declining population another important element to our action plan is establishing a new conservation breeding programme to increase numbers for future re-introductions. The high standards of husbandry and breeding success from animal keepers at RZSS Highland Wildlife Park are an asset to the breeding programme, and important genes from these new arrivals may one day be represented in released cats roaming the wilds of Scotland.”  

Although some similarities with domestic tabby cats exist, the two species are not to be confused. With their big, bushy, black-ringed tail and tenacious behaviour it is no surprise that the Scottish wildcat was used historically in many Highland clan crests. The Scottish wildcat is an incredibly rare and elusive creature, thought to be critically endangered, it is clear there is an immediate need for effective conservation measures across the whole of Scotland. All of the different wildcat species across the world are endangered for similar reasons, however the Scottish wildcat is one of the rarest cats in the world and is probably the nearest to extinction.

The Scottish wildcat is the same subspecies of wildcat as is found in continental Europe, but has been separated from them since the end of the last ice age, over 8000 years ago. Domestic cats originate from Near Eastern (African) wildcats and have been through a process of domestication. Hence they have a quite separate evolutionary history to Scottish wildcats and behave quite differently. Wildcats prefer to live alone but will come together for a short period for breeding, normally then giving birth to around two to three kittens, which the mother will protect fiercely.

Polar Bear Cam Launches at Highland Wildlife Park

Polar Bear Cam Launches at Highland Wildlife Park

Today, Highland Wildlife Park is launching a brand new eco-friendly Polar Bear Cam. Offering bear fans the opportunity to watch live the antics of playful Walker and Arktos, the UK’s only polar bears in a public collection, excitingly the special camera also runs completely on renewable energy.

Due to the Park’s remote setting in the heart of Cairngorms National Park, the camera is powered by a solar panel and a mini wind turbine, and uses satellite broadband internet – the same technology that’s used by the military in isolated areas. The innovative use of this technology could actually lead to advances in wildlife research in some of the world’s most inaccessible and harshest areas, including Antarctica, as it can be run remotely using natural power sources and satellite internet.

Jon-Paul Orsi, Digital Manager for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, said:

“Following the popularity of our penguin and panda webcams at Edinburgh Zoo, we wanted to provide our online visitors with the opportunity to watch the UK’s only polar bears up at Highland Wildlife Park too. They are great candidates for a webcam as they regularly get up to mischief. Both Walker and Arktos are very boisterous young bears and love to wrestle or dunk each other in the pond. Their playful nature has made them a real favourite with visitors and I suspect it will be the same for the web cam viewers!

“Due to the challenges of the enclosure’s remote location, we didn’t think that such a webcam would be possible, however thanks to recent technological advancements it became feasible.  As a result Polar Bear Cam is one of the most advanced installations we’ve created at either park, running completely on green energy and satellite broadband. A 12-volt solar panel system provides the main source of power for the camera, while a 12-volt mini wind turbine acts as a supplement during overcast days. Currently, the camera focusses on the enclosure’s large pond, which means watchers will now be able to see Walker and Arktos splash and play.”

The streaming for Polar Bear Cam is handled by Camvista, who also run Edinburgh Zoo’s popular Panda, Penguin and Squirrel Monkey Cams, as well as the Park’s Snow Monkey Cam, while the camera’s power system was designed and installed by Vuterra.

Alex Kilgour, Managing Director for Camvista, said:

“We have worked with RZSS on many animal cams, such as Edinburgh Zoo’s penguin cams, which have proven to be immensely popular. Polar bear cam is the first time we – or anyone else we know – have used satellite broadband for streaming a webcam of this nature. By combining renewable resources with satellite broadband to run a web cam, we have potentially come up with a solution for remotely watching wildlife without the need of constantly changing batteries or waiting to watch the footage later. Footage filmed by the cams can be watched in live time from anywhere in the world, which could have an enormous benefit to environmental research.”  

Reg Pope, Managing Director for Vuterra 360 Ltd, added:

“Coming up with a system that suited the isolated nature of the Park was a challenge. The University of Aberdeen’s engineering department helped design the power supply for converting and storing the electricity generated by the solar panels or wind turbine to be used by the satellite web cam system. The system design is fully self-contained and will run on battery back-up for up to three days without charging.

“Being on the top of the polar bear viewing hut to install the camera, solar panels and wind turbine was an amazing experience. Although the polar bears were locked into a different part of their enclosure, it was incredible to be able to watch them from a bird’s eye view. They are very active, inquisitive and they are constantly playing together.”

To begin with Polar Bear Cam will stream live from 9:30am to 2:30pm, with pre-recorded footage then replayed outside of live streaming hours. It can be watched via http://www.highlandwildlifepark.org.uk/polar-bear-webcam

Highland Wildlife Park Wins Lottery Funding

Highland Wildlife Park Wins Lottery Funding

The Highland Wildlife Park, Kingussie, which is owned and operated by the conservation charity the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, is delighted to have won funding support from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The funding of £51,700 will go towards a redevelopment and engagement project to enhance the Park’s infrastructure, interpretation and education.
A 350 metre long raised walking platform will be created from the Park’s entrance through the front drive-through reserve. Currently only accessible by vehicle, this significant extensive high level walkway will give cyclists and walkers direct access to the Park without the need to arrive by car. The Park’s 2,100 metre network of footpaths across the 200 acre site will also be enhanced and disabled access will be improved.  
The visitor experience will be taken to the next level with new engaging interpretation developed throughout the Park and improved directional signage. Part of the new interpretation will include an audio digital learning guide for visitors to use during their drive-through experience. Gaelic language translation on on-site interpretation, online and on educational material will also increase links with the Park’s Scottish heritage.
The development of a sustainable volunteer guide and education programme will also feature. By the end of 2013 the Park will have in place a robust recruitment and training programme for a team of volunteers who will work at key areas of the Park. Forming part of the RZSS’s education mission, this will ensure visitors gain a better understanding of the Park’s, and of the Cairngorm’s, conservation issues. This programme will also provide opportunities to local people, potentially students and the long term unemployed, to gain new skills.
Educationally, learning packs will be created, both online and in hard copy, for use within the local schools and community groups, will deliver key conservation messages with the aim of inspiring the younger generation to be involved in Scottish and global conservation work.
Finally, the Scottish wildcat facility will be expanded.                             
Daska Mackintosh, Visitor Services Manager for the Highland Wildlife Park, said:“The Highland Wildlife Park is delighted to be awarded this money from the Heritage Lottery Fund and we thank them for their support. As a totally unfunded conservation charity, these funds will allow RZSS to help reconnect and educate a greater number of individuals with the wonders of nature - one of the key missions of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. The money will be put towards creating greater accessibility within the Park and enhancing educational resource, both onsite through interpretation and volunteer engagement, and in the wider community by learning packs. We are truly thrilled and look forward to seeing the results of the kind donation.”

Colin McLean, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland said:
“The Heritage Lottery Fund is pleased to support a project which will help to stimulate people’s interest in nature. The new signage and redevelopment of the Highland Wildlife Park will allow more people to learn about the value of Scotland’s wildlife while volunteers and visitors alike will be able to play their part as custodians of our wonderful natural heritage. HLF is delighted to be able to help people connect with the natural world.”

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A Bit of Lippy for the Highland Girls

Earlier this week, the Highland Wildlife Park’s herd of female white-lipped deer welcomed a male. 

Bachelor Andy, a five year old male, also waited patiently to be introduced to his harem of three females for 30 days before the introductions took place earlier this week.  Originally born in Berlin, the only boy joins the Park from an all-male deer group at the Scottish Deer Centre in Fife.  So far this young male seems to be settling in well to a life surrounded by females in the Highlands.

White-lipped deer are one of the largest species of deer, with a body around six feet in length and a height of up to four feet at the shoulder.  Their name comes from the white hair all around their muzzle.  In the wild white-lipped deer are endemic to the Tibetan Plateau, feeding mainly on the sparse grass in this harsh landscape.  These animals are much heavier in build than other deer species although they are capable of moving at high speeds when danger threatens.  Males are identifiable due to their impressive antlers.

Douglas Richardson, Animal Collection Manager at the Highland Wildlife Park, said:

“Andy has been in quarantine for the last month, and it was only on Tuesday this week that he was ready to be introduced to our female trio.  So far this has gone well, he seems comfortable and our females – Karen, Seri and Kay- appear to have accepted him into the herd, although Kay, the dominant female, gave him a bit of a hard time to begin with.

“The breeding season is in September/October, a few months away yet, so the three girls will have time to get used to the new arrival.  It will also give Andy time to get used being surrounded by females, as he joined us from a bachelor deer group.

“We have a very strong record when it comes to conservation and successful breeding at the Highland Wildlife Park, and we are hopeful that 2013 should see the first births, particularly as white-lipped deer are classed as Vulnerable by the IUCN”.

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Musk Ox Make their Debut

Photo credit - Highland Wildlife Park

The only two Musk Ox in the UK made their formal public debut this morning at the Highland Wildlife Park. The mother and daughter act took to their outdoor enclosure after a short period of settling in since their arrival in January.

Douglas Richardson, Animal Collection Manager at the Highland Wildlife Park, said:

“The Highland Wildlife Park is delighted to have the only two Musk Ox in the UK, a species that has not been imported into this country for over 24 years, and being able to share these powerful and prehistoric animals with the public is wonderful.

“Our Musk Ox duo mother Karin and daughter Madelon have been settling in nicely to their new home here at the Park over the last few weeks and today saw them take their first steps out in front of the cameras! Musk Ox have a notorious reputation for being aggressive and bad-tempered, so we were surprised to find that the pair were a little shy and unsure, preferring not to venture out right away. Now that the girls have had a little time to adjust and are now quite happy, they seem to be enjoying exploring their outdoor enclosure – although we’re sure that mother and daughter will live up to their reputation in time!”

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The Roar of the Rut

Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/smclaren/6162580540/

Red Deer Rut Heats Up

The weather might be getting colder, but things are heating up at the Highland Wildlife Park as the annual deer rut gets into full swing.

Top stags Thor and Snap are vying for dominance, and as the weather grows colder the rut will become more intense.

Head hoofed stock keeper Morag Sellar, who has kept a watchful eye over this year’s rut, said: “Now the breeding season has begun, both our fully grown stags Thor and Snap are battling for dominance.

“The objective of a stag during a deer rut is to round up all the females in the group into what’s called a harem, and mate with each one. At the moment Thor seems to be faring the best, while Snap is falling behind— but everything could change.

“A red deer rut typically lasts four to six weeks. During the rut visitors might hear the deep bellowing of the stags. They might also catch sight of the stags wallowing and covering themselves in mud, this is intended to make them appear more handsome to the female deer and also to intimidate rival stags.

“When the stags are about to fight they walk side by side, before facing each other square on. With seven-pronged antlers these deer are capable of doing significant damage, but they are remarkably robust animals.”

The Highland Wildlife Park is home to around 40 deer. Along with the adult stags Snap and Thor, there are two juvenile stags in the group, Atlas and Wanderer.

Morag said: “Atlas and Wanderer are still a bit too young to really get involved in the rut. They have been roaring and showing some interest, but they are soon chased away by the older males.”

While this time of year is full of drama for the red deer group, life will begin to quiet down as the deer rut comes to an end.

In March the stags will cast off their antlers and begin to grow new ones, while in June to July any red deer calves will be born.

Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/smclaren/6234078708/

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Pallas's Kittens Highland Debut

Photo: The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland

At first glance these gorgeous kittens look like a bit like domestic Persian cats with their rounder, fluffy appearance, but with shorter ears. However, the latest arrivals at the Highland Wildlife Park may look cute and cuddly, but these are three Pallas’s cat kittens from the high altitude regions of central Asia.

The first Pallas’s cat kittens ever born at the Highland Wildlife Park, these bundles of fluff were born to dad Beebop and mum Alula around the 4th June. They are now nine weeks old and are getting brave enough to explore their enclosure.

Pallas’s cats are mainly grey in colour with dark spots on the head and a dark ringed tail. Perfectly suited at blending into their rocky surroundings, Asian Pallas’s cats are found in the high plateaus and mountains of central Asia, from Iran to western China and Mongolia. These beautiful wild cats are adapted to a life at very high altitudes and have thick fur to protect them against the environmental extremes of their habitat.

A small wild cat, the Pallas’s cat is currently classified as near threatened and has a decreasing wild population due to harmful agricultural practices and fur trapping. The European Zoo Association breeding programme for this unusual and highly specialised cat species is managed by staff at the Highland Wildlife Park.

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Mercedes The Polar Bear Was A Grandmother

Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/craiglea/2685883901/

Mercedes The Polar Bear Was A Grandmother
As a direct result of my writing the article 'Mercedes the Polar Bear' I recieved an email from a colleague from Rodrigues Island informing me that Mercedes daughter 'Ohoto' had produced a number of cubs. Most of these had died but one, born on October 13th 2009 had survived and was hand raised. Learn more HERE and HERE.

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Obituary - Mercedes The Polar Bear

Mercedes, the Highland Wildlife Park’s Adult Female Polar Bear

by

Douglas Richardson

Animal Collection Manager

RZSS, Highland Wildlife Park

15 April 2011

Given the high profile that Mercedes the polar bear has had both in Scotland and internationally, we felt that her many admirers deserved to be informed that it was with a great deal of sadness that early this morning, April 15 2011, Mercedes was put painlessly to sleep due to age related health problems and a rapid deterioration in her welfare.

Mercedes was born in the wild in the western Hudson Bay region of Manitoba Canada in late 1980 or 1981. When she naturally separated from her wild mother, she developed the habit of wandering into the local town of Churchill looking for food and needed to be captured and moved a good distance in an effort to curtail her “shopping sprees”. The polar bear policy in Churchill, also known as the polar bear capital of the world, was three strikes and you’re out. Twice she had been caught and moved out of town and a third offence would result in her being shot due to the risks she presented to the townspeople. Luckily a concerned member of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland with Canadian connections helped save Mercedes from certain death and, following her third offence, she was caught and moved to Edinburgh Zoo on 19 January 1984. Whilst at Edinburgh she reared 2 cubs: Minty, a male, born on 18 November 1988, and Ohoto, a female, born 15 November 1991. Both were sired by her partner Barney, who was born at Whipsnade Zoo, but he died on 19 November 1996. After Barney’s death, Mercedes lived by herself at Edinburgh Zoo; a solitary lifestyle, especially for an adult female polar bear, is normal as they are not overly social creatures.

Walker and Mercedes

Photo credit: Aaron Sneddon

In late 2008/early 2009, the decision was finalised to move her to a new, much larger enclosure at Edinburgh’s sister zoo, the Highland Wildlife Park. Using a radical new enclosure design, we were able to construct a very large area for Mercedes’ retirement at the Park, although there was some concern over how she would react to the wide open space in the Highlands. Mercedes moved into her new, large, natural enclosure at the Highland Wildlife Park on 19 October 2009. Her arrival generated unprecedented media and public interest. When she was released into the new enclosure she quickly adapted to her bigger, softer surroundings and she particularly relished the deep snow and iced-over pond in the winter. Because of the size and natural complexity of our facility, the European breeding programme coordinator for polar bears asked us if we could take the 2 year old male Walker from Rhenen Zoo in Holland. Walker needed to be moved due to the pending birth of cubs from his aunt. Although Walker was at the age where he needed to be separated from his mother, we felt confident that he would be respectful of the much older Mercedes and not present her with a problem; Walker arrived on 5 November 2010. From the time we first mixed the 2 polar bears together, it was clear that Walker wanted to play, but Mercedes was having none of it and rebuffed all of his attempts at contact. Luckily the enclosure is large enough that the bears could keep well apart from each other and we provided Walker with a wide range of suitable polar bear toys and this left Mercedes to carry on with her more sedate routine.


Because Mercedes was at the upper end of the captive polar bear age scale, about 29-30 years old (wild polar bears rarely make it to their mid-20s), we have been routinely monitoring her health and particularly her level of mobility; older bears are very prone to developing quite pronounced arthritis. We thought that she was getting a bit slower, which was to be expected, but the arrival of the boisterous Walker really demonstrated the difference in the bears. We have had Mercedes on a carefully planned course of medication to ease any likely joint problems, and we had seen a bit of an improvement in her condition. She was monitored daily by her keepers and weekly by our vet. More recently we noted a marked and rapid downturn in her behaviour and her demeanour, and she appeared to be aging very rapidly and possibly showing signs of senility. We had been keeping her separate from the male bear so as to avoid any possibility of him causing her to move more than she wanted to. Recently, all of the individuals responsible for her care sadly concluded that our only remaining option was to put her to sleep on age and health grounds.

Simon Girling, RZSS head of veterinary services says of Mercedes’ condition, “We have been monitoring Mercedes' condition for some time now and have tried a number of different therapies for her advanced arthritis, which we were having some success with. However, even on medication, Mercedes has now taken a significant turn for the worse in terms of her mobility and is also showing signs of mental confusion. This deterioration in her welfare has prompted us to step in and humanely euthanase her.” In addition, Jane Harley, the Highland Wildlife Park’s local veterinary consultant has a similar opinion, “Mercedes has shown a marked deterioration in her condition over the last week. She has signs of severe pain from arthritic joints that the medication no longer appears to be controlling. She also appears to be showing signs of "old age senility" which is causing her confusion and distress. This has been a difficult decision for everyone who has been involved with Mercedes, but is the right decision for a very special bear.”

She will undergo a very thorough post mortem examination so that we can learn more about her condition and this will help provide more information on how we deal with geriatric bears in the future. One of Mercedes’ most significant contributions to the future welfare of polar and other bear species was in successfully “test-driving” our new enclosure design as it is one that is relatively cheap to construct and this low cost means that much larger bear enclosures can be built in zoological collections which results in better bear welfare. It goes without saying that Mercedes will be greatly missed by those who cared for her and by her many admirers.

 

Also Read

Mercedes The Polar Bear

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Can A Polar Bear Bear It?

Walker the Polar Bear at the Highland Wildlife Park near Kingussie in Scotland has his first experience of the bagpipes. What's more he seems to like them. Getting into the spirit of things it will not be long before he is chasing haggis around his magnificent enclosure.

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'No Mirrors Involved'

Snow Leopards

Photo supplied by Peter Litherland of the

Welsh Mountain Zoo

 

Walker celebrates his birthday in snowy style

Walker with his Birthday cake

Photo by: Aaron Sneddon

After almost a month at his new home, Walker the polar bear celebrated his second birthday in snowy style today (Tuesday 7 December) at the Highland Wildlife Park near Kingussie.

Walker, who was born in 2008 in Rhenen Zoo in Holland, was given a special birthday treat from his keepers, who built him a snowman filled with some of his favourite foods - trout, carrot and beef. In his true cheeky style, Walker certainly enjoyed showing off with his birthday gift.

Douglas Richardson, Animal Collection Manager at the Highland Wildlife Park said,

‘Walker is a ball of energy on any normal day, so for his birthday we wanted to give him some enrichment that he could really get his teeth into.

‘His favourite toys are normally traffic cones and umbrella stands, but he has been making the most of the recent snowfall so we thought he would appreciate a more solid snow structure to play with – or destroy!’

Mercedes looked on as Walker celebrated his first birthday on Highland soil, and keepers gave her some party food of her own.

Douglas continued: ‘Mercedes and Walker are not the best of pals, but they are living amicably in the same enclosure now, which is a good result given the age difference of the two bears.

‘Now that Mercedes has realised that Walker is not a threat she has settled down, and Walker is very respectful of Mercedes at the moment – he appreciates that she is not quite as playful as he is!’

But Walker wasn’t the only person celebrating his birthday at the Highland Wildlife Park today. Young animal enthusiast Dexter Hughes made a trip to the park with his dad Jasper, who is Education Officer at the Highland Wildlife Park, to celebrate his seventh birthday.

Jasper said: ‘Dexter is mad about his animals and has been dying to come and visit Walker since he arrived, so he was delighted when he found out Walker’s birthday was on the same day as his. He even requested a polar bear birthday cake this year, so we thought it would be special for him to come and meet Walker today so they can celebrate their birthdays together!’

Dexter, who wants to be a keeper himself when he is older, was introduced to Walker this morning by the bear’s keepers at the polar bear enclosure, where Walker was making the most of his birthday treat.

Dexter said: ‘I want to be a keeper at the park or at a Zoo when I am older, so I like coming to the Highland Wildlife Park. I love animals and meeting Walker on my birthday was really cool... but I bet my birthday cake was yummier than his.’

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'No Mirrors Involved'

Snow Leopards

Photo supplied by Peter Litherland of the

Welsh Mountain Zoo

 

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Walker steps out onto Highland Soil

After weeks of preparation, Walker the polar bear has finally arrived at the Highland Wildlife Park near Kingussie and is ready to take the first few steps onto Highland soil.

Walker was transported by road and ferry from Rhenen Zoo to his new home yesterday, and will now be released into the holding pen where he and resident polar bear Mercedes will be able to see eachother for the first time.

Douglas Richardson, Animal Collection Manager at the Highland Wildlife Park said,

‘The transfer yesterday went very smoothly. Our colleagues at Rhenen Zoo managed to get Walker into his travelling crate without incident, which helped make the journey for him less stressful. His crate was lifted onto a lorry and he travelled by road and then by ferry to Hull and up the A9 which took around 24 hours. When he arrived here last night, he walked out of his crate and immediately began investigating his indoor den, so we are looking forward to seeing how he and Mercedes react to one another once he is released into the holding pen.’

Special modifications have been made to the park’s polar bear enclosure so Walker and Mercedes can be managed separately and gradually introduced through a single layer mesh fence. Once Walker has become familiar with his surroundings in the holding pen, he will be released into the specially designed natural extension of the enclosure to continue the bears’ introduction.

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