Polar bear breeding plans at Highland Wildlife Park will have to wait
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There are hopes that polar bears will be able to be bred at the Highland Wildlife Park next year after Covid-19 put paid to any attempts this year.
New Royal Zoological Society of Scotland boss David Field told the Strathy that a partner had been lined up for resident female Victoria but coronavirus has prevented them from being paired.
Mr Field, who visited the attraction on the first day of his job as chief executive last week, said: "Movement of animals has been discouraged and only urgent animal welfare moves have been undertaken.
"We are starting to look for a new home for Hamish as he is just at that age. We know we have a new breeding recommendation for Victoria but unfortunately we will have missed that time for this year but we hope that she will be breeding in 2021.
"We also want to bring in a new (Amur) tiger to the Highland Wildlife Park but that is just on hold at the moment as we also need to build on an extra little part to the enclosure. We are just looking to start a number of these projects."
Victoria and resident male bear Arktos were successfully bred at the park resulting in the arrival of Hamish in late December 2017.
He was the first polar bear birth in the UK for 25 years.
Local Highland councillor Bill Lobban said on social media: "It's important that 'our' baby bear goes somewhere where he can enjoy the limited freedom he has now. I would hate to see him end up in a concrete jungle of a zoo."
Amur tiger Marty passed away last summer at the wildlife park.
He was ten years old and arrived at Highland Wildlife Park from the Czech Republic in 2012. He was paired with Dominika and fathered cubs Murray and Vicktor a year later.
Amur tigers are endangered, with around 450 estimated to remain in the wild.
