Baby news

Thanks, FFinnochio. Most news shots of the cub are close-ups, but you don't get an idea of the surroundings from that. My shaky hands camera can't cope very well with such an extreme zoom. Half the time I couldn't even see whether I had him in shot or not and he kept vanishing behind the bushes. There was some expensive photographic equipment being used all around me so I was chuffed to get anything at all that was worth watching.

It was really good visit (2 days, stayed in a B&B in Kingussie so as to get the whole day at the park - it takes 2 1/2 to 3 hours to drive up there from Edinburgh. Anyone else going be warned, it is a long walk to the female polar bear enclosure, which was deliberately sited well away from the busier part of the park.

Super video Elegran. Baby Polar B is very cute!
Found your intro. showing the Highland Wildlife Park informative - what a wonderful setting. Not dull at all.

I have been up to the Highland Wildlife Park to see the polar bear cub in the flesh. He is just too cute! I took this video. youtu.be/0jOxExnvGkc Apologies for the shaky bits, but it was at maximum zoom.
It is quite long but how could I leave any of it out? I have added a shot of the whole enclosure, which isn't all that eciting but it does show the size and the setting. Then there are shots of them getting a scatter fed of carrots, cherry tomatoes, vegetables and a tasty rat. (served in the most inconvenient corner to get photos of them of course, right up against the back fence and behind a projecting roof and another side of the fence.) The cub has a good root around the food, though he is not yet really eating any of it, and at one point he runs away with something. He finds an empty blue plastic container very interesting and he copies his mother when she has a scratch against a tree. Finally he goes for a swim in the pool.

And more babies! youtu.be/XoT4yJmL2LA These triplets are binturongs, a small cat-like bear, ative to rainforests in Southeast Asia, binturongs are a member of the civet family, with their distinctive, popcorn scent coming from a chemical compound in their urine.

They are classified as vulnerable in the wild, with their population having declined by around a third over the past 18 years. It is incredibly difficult to breed the quirky animals, so zoo staff have been delighted by the arrival of triplets.

www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/news/article/14205/rzss-edinburgh-zoo-welcomes-first-binturong-cubs-born-in-scotland/

My 7 yearold GD recently acquired a polar bear toy. She is waiting to hear what name is given to Victoria's cub so that hers can share the name!

I watched the recent documentary and really enjoyed it Elegran especially how the den made by the keepers seemed to make so much difference.

That is, more videos of the polar bear cub.

Highland Wildlife Park Facebook page has more videos
www.facebook.com/pg/highlandwildlifepark/videos/?ref=page_internal

Cute!

Short bit of video of the polar bear cub (ahhhh!) tottering around. www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-43428162/footage-of-first-polar-bear-cub-born-in-uk-in-25-years

And more!
Video of a tiny baby gorilla in the Congo vimeo.com/259370524
and article about that gorilla family press.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/11139/Video-Shows-Rare-Glimpse-of-Newborn-Gorilla-In-the-Wild.aspx

I remember what a fuss and to-do was made when Brumas was born. I wasn`t very old, but would go through the newspapers looking for pictures of him. Whatever it`s sex, I hope they give this adorable baby a deservedly nice name.

Channel 4 at 7pm on Sunday 18 March.

Documentary coming to Channel 4 later this month
www.allmediascotland.com/media-releases/133084/media-release-channel-4-and-stv-productions-granted-exclusive-access-for-documentary-on-polar-bear-cub/

Elegran, and our font of knowledge ???

I remember Brumas. We are showing our age, Auntieflo!

Does anyone else remember 'Brumas' the polar bear cub, born in the 1950's I think?

Oh I see. Do let us know when you find out Elegran .

My money is still on girl !

Gilly I think Victoria is OK with the keepers, so now she has let the cub out it may be briefly nabbed for weighing and checking over. They would not have intruded until she was leaving it for a short while.

There are two male polar bears at Kingussie. Baby's dad is Arctos, the other is Walker. Walker's birth was filmed in a manmade den for the TV series. There was some fuss because it was not stated that that sequence was "faked", but it would have been impossible to introduce cameras into an existing genuine polar bear birth den. The mothers dig them before the birth and settle in before the worst weather. They would not be best pleased to find a cameraman digging in beside them!

I wonder if there a way of easily telling Elegran? without having to seperate /sedate the mother and cub.

Victoria, not Victoris.

Victoris has started leaving her to come out for food and water, so maybe she wanted to follow Mum. (I think she looks like a girl too, but they don't know yet)

Beautiful picture! There was video of the polar bears at the Yorkshire Wildlife park frolicking in the snow last week - so funny

How wonderful - well done to Highland Wildlife Park for a successful birth. I think she looks like a girl too - very cute and cuddly.