Ocean plastic waste figures ‘are way off’
THE amount of plastic dumped in the Atlantic Ocean has been “massively underestimated”, experts have said.
New research found there’s up to 21million tons of microplastics in the upper waters of the Atlantic – but the study focused on just three types of plastic.
Previous estimates were that the total amount of all plastic waste dumped in the ocean in the past 65 years was 17million tons.
BY LUCINDA CAMERON 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 for Yorkshire Wildlife Park’s Project Polar habitat after a recommendation from the European Endangered Species Programme.
Born on December 18, 2017, Hamish 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-ahalf years watching him grow and he’ll 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: “A critical part of our role as a wildlife conservation charity is education.
“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.
“He has helped to highlight the threats many species face in the wild and the changes we can undertake to really make a difference. Changes in the Arctic climate mean the sea ice that wild polar bears and other animals depend on for survival is shrinking and it is predicted this will significantly decrease population numbers over the next 40 years.
“Hamish has been, and continues to be, an incredible ambassador for his relatives in the wild.”
Yorkshire Wildlife Park’s head of animals Matt Hartley said they are delighted to be welcoming Hamish to Project Polar, where he will join the park’s five other male bears.
He said: “The park participates in the European Endangered Species Programme by housing sub-adult males during the important period of their development prior to becoming breeding males or retired males that are genetically well represented in the carefully managed population.
“Our expansive reserves allow social interaction, play, exploration and behavioural development that is vital for bear well-being.”