Hamish, the first polar bear to be born in the UK in 25 years, is settling into his new home after making the 400-mile trip from northern Scotland to Yorkshire.
The three-year-old bear, who had previously lived with his mother Victoria at the Highland Wildlife Park near Kingussie moved to Yorkshire Wildlife Park’s Project Polar habitat following a recommendation from the European Endangered Species Programme.
Born in December 2017 (not so) Wee Hamish had become bigger than his mum and keepers felt, much like in the wild, it was now the right time for him to leave.
He'll definitely be missed at the Highand Wildlife Park where he'd become a bit of a star but the spacious reserves of the specialist polar bear centre that he will now call home, will allow him to develop.
Kim Wilkins, the carnivore team leader at the Yorkshire park, said: "He is a lovely bear and I can see he will be very happy here.
"We are hoping that he will become best friends with our youngest bear, Nobby."
The move took months to plan and involved experienced transport specialists, supported by staff and vets from both parks.
Matt Hartley, head of animals at the park, said he hopes Hamish will be an ambassador for wild polar bears and boost the campaign to preserve their melting habitats.
He said: "He will help us move forward in our fight to ensure polar bears can ultimately survive the damage climate change is causing to their environment."
Hamish's arrival has been away from the public as the 150-acre park is closed to visitors due to the lockdown.
