First chance to see UK’s only polar bear cub right here in Scotland

Visitors to the Royal Zoological Society’s Highland Wildlife Park could see the cub - born in December - as it takes its first steps into the park’s outdoor enclosure on Wednesday, March 21.

The enclosure had been closed to the public to allow mum Victoria the privacy she needed.

Staff at the park, at Kincraig, near Kingussie, are advising visitors the cub may only be visible for small periods of time to begin with.

Una Richardson, head keeper, said: “Having spent four months in her maternity den, Victoria quickly took the chance to go outside. Understandably, her cub has been more cautious and is still getting used to new sights, smells and sounds.

“While the cub will become more confident and start to explore the large enclosure with Victoria, this will take time and they will always have access to their den for peace and quiet. There is no guarantee all of our visitors will see the cub at this early age but they may be lucky.

“There is huge interest in the park and seeing a polar bear cub will be a once in a lifetime opportunity for many people, particularly those travelling from around the world.”

Chief executive Barbara Smith added: “The birth of the first polar bear in the UK for a quarter of a century is a huge achievement for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and the team at our Highland Wildlife Park.

“We are hopeful our cub will help to raise awareness of the dangers to polar bears in the wild. Collectively, we must do all we can to protect this magnificent species.”

Staff at the park expect to discover the cub’s gender in April or May, when health checks will be possible.

As reported by the Evening Times previously, the first pictures of the cub were released on March 7 after it was caught on camera sitting in the snow for a Channel 4 documentary about the park’s pioneering polar bear breeding programme.

The documentary, Britain’s Polar Bear Cub, aired on Channel 4 on Sunday, March 18.