First polar bear born in UK in 25 years moved from Scotland to Yorkshire

Hamish, who is now two-and-a-half years old, used to share an enclosure with his mother Victoria

Hamish (pictured waving), who is now two-and-a-half years old, shares an enclosure with his mother Victoria at the Highland Wildlife Park near Aviemore. (RZSS Media / SWNS)

The first polar bear cub to be born in the UK in 25 years was moved from his home in Scotland to a park in Yorkshire on Wednesday.

Hamish, who is now two-and-a-half years old, used to share an enclosure with his mother Victoria at the Highland Wildlife Park near Aviemore, in Scotland, while his father, Arktos, lives in an enclosure in another part of the park.

Thousands of people have visited the young polar bear since his birth in December 2017.

But Hamish — whose name was chosen after a public vote — has now moved 400 miles to his new home in Doncaster's Yorkshire Wildlife Park, where he'll be joining four other polar bears.

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) had always planned to move him to another zoo once he was old enough to leave his mother.

In the wild, polar bear cubs usually leave their mothers after two to three years.

Rachel Williams, senior animal keeper at Highland Wildlife Park, said the "playful" bear would be missed by everyone at the park.

She said, "It has been an incredible two and a half years watching Hamish grow. He is a very playful bear who will be missed by everyone here at the park.

Hamish wandering through his enclosure at the Highland Wildlife Park near Aviemore. (RZSS Media / SWNS)

"Hamish has made a tremendous impression on the thousands of people who visited the park since his birth and helped to highlight the threats many species face in the wild.

"It is exciting to see him moving on and playing his part in the European Endangered Species Programme.

"We're sure Victoria will appreciate some peace and quiet before any next steps in the breeding programme. All being well, we hope to pair her with Arktos again next year."