Yorkshire Wildlife Park urges people to help protect polar bears
People are being urged to go the extra mile for the bears
Rangers at Doncaster’s award-winning Yorkshire Wildlife Park are inviting visitors to join them in the fund-raising efforts for conservation projects during Polar Bear Week from November 1 to 7.
The 145-acre resort, which is home to five polar bears, has been at the forefront of the campaign to preserve the under-threat species through the charity based at the park - the Wildlife Foundation - and is organising fund-raising events across the week.
Participants can log their running, walking, cycling, swimming or rowing distances with the option to convert exercise or yoga classes into distances to complete routes of 90 or 1,040 miles.
“The YWP carnivore team looks after the polar bears every day, so it’s fitting that they’re taking on the Arctic Circle Virtual Challenge and inviting the park’s wonderfully supportive visitors to join them,” said Cheryl Williams, Chief Executive of the WildLife Foundation.
“Whether you take on the challenge yourself or donate to support the team, you’ll be helping us stand up for the Arctic.
“Every visitor who joins in with the challenge helps us stand up for the arctic, and every donation goes towards keeping polar bears and the communities who live alongside them safe.”
The park’s polar bears who live in a ten acre reserve, are visitor favourites and the Wildlife Foundation works closely with the world’s leading polar bear and climate scientists.
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It is also an official Polar Bears International Arctic Ambassador Centre and donates has made significant grants and donations to the cause since the creation of Project Polar in 2014.
Polar Bear Week is led by Polar Bears International, the charity dedicated to protecting polar bears and the Arctic sea ice they call home with this year’s theme dedicated to polar bear-human coexistence.
Funding by the Foundation has helped several specific projects as well as supporting the organisation in its wider world such as innovations like the ‘Bear-dar’ AI radar system that detects approaching bears to minimise the potential of surprise encounters between people and polar bears.
The Artic Circle Virtual Challenge was devised by The Conqueror events organisation, which specialises in innovative virtual challenges. Participants can clock off the miles online and be rewarded with a unique frost-themed medal.
Polar Bear Week is the perfect warm-up for the park’s Winter Illuminations, which return on November 14 with a brand-new theme for 2026: The Polar Bear Express with a unique winter wonderland and snowy landscapes.