New arrivals make UK park polar bear capital of Europe

ENGLAND now has the largest polar bear centre anywhere in the world outside of Canada, following the arrival of three cubs and their mother at a park in Doncaster.

They join four male polar bears already living at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park (YWP), which has been dubbed the polar bear capital of Europe.

The 18-month-olds are triplets, which are rare for polar bears, and are settling into a new enclosure with their mother, Flocke, aged 12.

Dr Charlotte Macdonald, animal director at the park, said: “We have been delighted to welcome the new polar bears to YWP, especially a complete family.”

She also said the cubs have adapted well and are enjoying their new home.

“One of the cubs has just been exploring the climbing frames, going up high off the ground, and they’ve been playing in the water a lot. The cubs are very, very curious.”

The family consists of Flocke; two males, Indiana and Yuma, who are already catching up to their mother in size; and their smaller sister, Tala.

They moved from their previous home at Marineland, in the south of France.