The UK’s only polar bear cub, Brodie, celebrated his first birthday at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s (RZSS) Highland Wildlife Park this month.
Keepers at the wildlife conservation charity helped Brodie mark the milestone with a birthday ice-cake made of carrot, hot dogs, apples, cod liver oil and a peanut butter frosting. The cub was spotted sharing his birthday cake with mum Victoria who also celebrated a birthday in December.
Vickie Larkin, carnivore team leader at Highland Wildlife Park, said, “We are all delighted to wish Brodie a happy first birthday. He has settled in so well and is one of the park’s biggest personalities.
“Brodie is an amazing ambassador for his cousins in the wild. Seeing polar bears like Brodie up close is a great way to connect with nature and raise awareness of the threats the species face in the wild.”
Born on 13 December 2021, Brodie took his first steps outside in March 2022. In the wild, polar bear cubs will stay with their mothers for two to three years, learning key survival skills before leaving to start their own families.
Visitors can see Brodie and Victoria at Highland Wildlife Park near Aviemore, which is open from 10am to 4pm during the winter. Last entry is at 3pm and viewing closes at Brodie and Victoria’s enclosure at 3.30pm.
Fun facts:
- Brodie’s name was chosen by the winner of a prize draw run by RZSS to raise funds for Scotland’s Wildlife Discovery Centre.
- Brodie is Victoria and  Arktos’ second cub after the pair previously had Hamish in 2017.
- Hamish was the first polar bear cub born in the UK in 25 years and moved to Yorkshire Wildlife Park in November 2020 as part of the breeding  programme  for the species.
Main image credit: RZSS
Remembering Bears: 7
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