Yorkshire Wildlife Park marks Arctic Sea Ice Day with its renewed commitment to protect polar bears

As UK temperatures continue to soar, the award-winning Yorkshire Wildlife Park is raising awareness of the dangers of climate change on polar bears and the ice cap that sustains them.

The 110-acre park is marking Arctic Sea Ice Day today (July 15) with a renewed commitment to saving polar bears whose numbers have been in dangerous decline over the last 20 years.

The park has had a long-standing partnership with Polar Bears International for a decade to safeguard the species and educate about rising global temperatures that are causing the Arctic ice to shrink by 13 per cent per decade.

"Arctic Sea Ice Day is an important opportunity to remind people that protecting polar bears also means protecting their habitat,” said Cheryl Williams, CEO of the WildLife Foundation, which is based at the park, near Doncaster.

"We are incredibly proud of our partnership with Polar Bears International and to support the outstanding work they carry out to conserve polar bears, sea ice and Arctic ecosystems.

"Visitors play a huge part in this work. Every donation made through The Wildlife Foundation helps fund vital research, conservation projects and education programmes that are making a real difference for the future of this remarkable species.

”Polar bear populations are under immense stress as the ice cap melts and reduces their opportunities to hunt. Research and education programmes, backed by The Wildlife Foundation, have helped slow the decline, but experts estimate only around 26,000 are living in the wild.

"Rising temperatures due to climate change continues to have a devastating impact on sea ice, reducing the opportunities for polar bears to hunt and raise their young,” said Mrs Williams.

“By working alongside Polar Bears International, we hope to inspire more people to support conservation efforts and help secure a future for polar bears.

"We remain committed to supporting research and conservation that improves our understanding of polar bears and helps protect the Arctic for generations to come."

Yorkshire Wildlife Park is home to the award-winning ten-acre Project Polar reserve, which is divided into interconnected habitats for visitors’ favourites Hamish, Nobby, Luka, Sisu, Indiana, and Yuma.

Designed to replicate the Arctic conditions of northern Canada during the summer months, it provides a world-class environment for the bears while helping inspire visitors to learn more about their wild counterparts.

Visitors to the park have donated thousands to help fund conservation projects.Staff at YWP marked Arctic Sea Ice Day by taking part in an ice challenge.

Rangers Sophy Sutcliffe, Kate Borrington, Ashleigh Nolder, and Jade Jones each made a pledge to reduce their carbon emissions before having ice and water poured over them.

Meanwhile, Wildlife Foundation CEO Cheryl Williams spent the day in talks with Polar Bears International and other global organisations in Norway about how to collaborate further to save the species.

She also met the local community in the Arctic hub of Longyearbyen to discuss initiatives.

She said: “It is incredible to hear first-hand the challenges we are facing.”