New polar bear set for Highland Wildlife Park

By FRANK URQUHART
Published on 02/04/2012 21:44

THE Highland Wildlife Park is gearing up to welcome Arktos the polar bear - a companion for Walker, the attraction’s resident bear.

Three-year-old Walker has been alone since the death last April of Mercedes, who was put to sleep at the age of 30. Plans to find a female companion for the bachelor bear had to be abandoned last year when it was discovered that the female destined for the Highlands was already pregnant.

It was revealed on Monday that Walker’s days of isolation will finally be over later this week when he will be joined at the Kincraig wildlife park by Arktos, pictured above, a four-year-old male polar bear from Hannover Zoo in Germany.

Arktos, who was born at Vienna Zoo before being moved to Hannover, is due to arrive on Thursday night when he will be joined by another new arrival at the park – Marty, a two-and-a-half-year-old Amur tiger from Olomouc Zoo in the Czech Republic.