The hint of spring had the majestic polar bears of Yorkshire Wildlife Park full of playful energy on International Polar Bear Day last week.
The quartet of bears at Project Polar are firm favourites with visitors but the fight to save the species is still at critical level as climate change is rapidly melting their Arctic sea ice habitat.
Nobby, Hamish, Sisu and Luka, who are residents at the award-winning park’s ten-acre Project Polar, are part of a European breeding and research programme that is vital to securing their future. It is their first International Polar Bear Day together after Nobby was joined by three new arrivals in recent months.
The impressive predators, the largest land carnivores on earth, roam across vast areas up to 600,000 square kilometres but global warming is devastating the polar ice caps with 6.4 trillion metric tonnes of sea ice lost between 1992 and 2017.
“International Polar Day is a time to celebrate these incredible animals and to focus attention on what is happening to them and the world because of climate change,” said Kim Wilkins Carnivore Team Leader of the park at Branton, near Doncaster.
“Our work is hugely important in supporting the future of polar bears and the planet.”
Project Polar has been a centre for research for more than five years as well as the ideal home for the bears who enjoy its Arctic tundra design with several lakes, rocks and caves. The Yorkshire Wildlife supports international conservation efforts. To support the invaluable work of Yorkshire Wildlife Park Foundation, which is based at YWP, and Polar Bears International please discover more and donate at www.YWPF.org.
