Video and pictures: Yorkshire Wildlife Park’s polar bears celebrate their fourth and sixth birthdays

Triplets Yuma, Indie and Tala, the park’s energetic youngsters, were celebrating their fourth birthday whilst Hamish was celebrating his sixth birthday.

Rangers presented the bears with a tasty multi-tier cake, made of their favourite treats of lettuce, carrots and apples, and deliciously topped off with whipped cream.

The animal ranger team dedicated hours to the careful construction of the cake, which twins Yuma and Indy quickly pounced on and demolished. They then enjoyed curiously exploring and playing with their special decorations.

The feast was followed by a playful swim in the 8-metre-deep lake as the pair splashed and play games with one another.

YWP’s Carnivore Team Leader, Rebecca Brown, said: “All the polar bears birthdays are an exciting celebration for the park and our team. It was heart-warming to see the Yuma and Indie enjoying the cake so much. They literally couldn’t wait to eat it.

“Each birthday is a milestone in our continuing conservation and protection efforts for this fantastic species. The park is really looking forward to watching these amazing creatures grow, especially when some polar bears can grow up to three metres in length,” Rebecca added.

Project Polar is home to eight polar ears and is the largest group in the world.

Project Polar 1, a 10-acre purpose-built space, mimics the bears’ natural habitat, and is the home of six bachelor boys. The largest lake at Project Polar 1 contains an impressive 25.5 million gallons of water, perfect for diving, swimming, and playing in.

Mum Flocke and tiny Tala reside in the 4-acre Project Polar 2.

Flocke and her cubs moved into Project Polar in June 2021 following a rehoming recommendation from the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP).

Yorkshire Wildlife Park, which opened in 2009, has been at the forefront of global animal conservation efforts. The park works closely with the Wildlife Foundation, the animal welfare charity based at YWP. The Wildlife Foundation partners with conservation programmes around the world to promote the welfare of wildlife in their habitat and in captivity.

There are 19 subpopulations of polar bear, several of which are at risk of declining numbers due to climate change. The species is classed as vulnerable.

Polar bears depend on sea ice for hunting and breeding, which is melting at an alarming rate due to human activity.

Scientists predict that unless action is taken to mitigate man-made climate change, polarbears may go extinct by the end of this century.

Carnivore team leader, Rebecca Brown, added: "Polar bears are a truly magnificent species. I am proud of all the hard work we put into trying to protect this species.

“However, with polar bear numbers drastically declining, more awareness needs to be raised, and more action taken. We hope that the birthday celebrations remind the public how important conservation is for polar bears."

The Wildlife Foundation supports polar bears International in building momentum for action on climate change and works closely with the world’s leading climate scientists.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park, based in Auckley, Doncaster, offers guests a unique walk-through experience. Over fiver kilometres of visitor paths and 175-acres allow visitors to come almost face-to-face with some of the world’s most beautiful and endangered species.