First polar bear cub born in the UK for 25 years at Scottish park

Staff at Highland Wildlife Park in Scotland confirm the birth to mother Victoria but say the first three months of life for the new-born cub are perilous

Patrick Barkham

Wed 3 Jan ‘18 10.31 GMTLast modified on Wed 3 Jan ‘18 22.00 GMT

The first polar bear cub to be born in Britain for 25 years is being cared for in a private den by its mother, Victoria, at the Highland Wildlife Park in Scotland.

Staff at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) park confirmed the birth after hearing distinct high-pitched sounds from Victoria’s maternity unit, which remains closed to visitors to ensure privacy.

The news of the birth comes 24 hours after a polar bear cub at a Berlin zoo died aged 26 days, and the RZSS admitted that the first three months would be perilous for the newborn polar bear.

Una Richardson, the park’s head keeper responsible for carnivores, said: “While we are absolutely thrilled, we are not celebrating prematurely as polar bear cubs have a high mortality rate in the first weeks of life due to their undeveloped immune system and the mother’s exaggerated need for privacy, with any disturbance risking the cub being killed or abandoned.”

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Orphaned Polar Bear Arrives in NY

Kali — the orphaned polar bear cub that was rescued in Alaska earlier this year — arrived safely at a new home in Buffalo, N.Y., early today (May 15) after a long trip aboard a UPS cargo plane.

Back in March, the young bear was picked up by hunters who unwittingly shot its mother near Point Lay, Alaska, according to news reports at the time. After being examined by wildlife officials, Kali was transferred to the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage to be cared for temporarily.

"The Alaska Zoo has done a tremendous job of providing excellent, temporary care for Kali," Dan Ashe, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said in a statement earlier this week. "I would like to personally thank the zoo for stepping up – at moment’s notice – to care for this cub. Now, as Kali leaves Alaska for his next short-term home, we are confident that the Buffalo Zoo will provide the best of care for Kali as the Service makes a final determination on a permanent home for the cub."

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