Polar bear born in Highlands emerges from cover

THE first polar bear cub to be born in the UK for 25 years has emerged at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Highland Wildlife Park.

Previously, the birth had only been confirmed by high-pitched noises heard from the maternity den.

Now the cub’s first venture into the outside world has been caught on cameras installed by STV Productions during a two-year exclusive project to document the breeding and birth of the cub.

The cameras have been positioned outside the female polar bear’s den since early February, giving unprecedented access for a forthcoming documentary, made for Channel 4 by STV Productions, about the park’s pioneering polar bear breeding programme.

The cub was born in the week before Christmas, with mum Victoria having mated with Arktos, one of two male polar bears at the park, at Kincraig near Kingussie.

Victoria and her cub’s enclosure will remain closed to the public until late this month to ensure privacy. Arktos can still be viewed in the enclosure he shares with Walker, the park’s other male.

Born blind and weighing little more than a guinea pig, the cub, which has not yet been named, is now able to see and is the size of a Scottish terrier, having fed exclusively on Victoria’s fat-rich milk over the past 12 weeks.

❒ Britain’s Polar Bear Cub airs on Channel 4 at 7pm on Sunday March 18.

Mum Victoria and her new cub have been caught on camera at the Highland Wildlife Park and will feature on television in a documentary this Sunday.