No cold bite from the weather on Arktos bear-thday
Scotland enjoys an unseasonal, mild St Andrews Day
There's not one, but two birthday celebrations, at Kincraig Highland Wildlife Park - with their two male polar bears, Arktos and Walker.
St Andrew’s Day sees Arktos turn nine whilst his bear-pal Walker, the baby of the bunch, turns eight a week later on the 7th of December.
Vickie Larkin, Head Carnivore Keeper at RZSS Highland Wildlife Park, said: "It’s fitting that Scotland’s only polar bears should celebrate their birthday in the Highlands on St Andrew’s Day"
Polar bears are the largest living land carnivore with strong limbs, distinctive white coat and huge paws, which make them able to withstand their extremely cold environments. In the wild their main food source is seals, but when they are not available polar bears will prey on young walrus, beluga whales and seabirds.
Polar bears are classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List due to loss of habitat as a result of climate change.
The polar bear is facing a deeply uncertain future in the wild, with global populations likely to decline by as much as 30% in just three generations according to estimates due to melting sea ice.
In the wild they will use sea ice as a hunting platform; however, due to climate change this is now melting earlier every year. This results in the polar bear having less time to hunt and put on weight ahead of the summer fast.