12.11.2022 by Ralph Morton
Between 7 and 9 November I made my last visit of the year to YWP. Although Christmas is still a little way off YWP had set up some replicas of their animals as decorations. To me they seemed like Raspi and Flocke with little Tala.
My first visit of the day is always to Flocke and Tala. They were just outside their den and quarantine enclosure. Flocke was watching for visitors while unusually Tala was fast asleep.
Flocke is lovely and round with thick winter fur which she grooms. When she sits back she looks still very young.
It was not long before both started playing. Flocke investigated an old tractor tyre and Tala was off in the lake. The two do sometimes play in the water together or with toys but usually they have their own routines.
Indie and Yuma have really changed the dynamics of the boy group. They have grown so fast in size and confidence that even Hamish has met his match. They all get along well.
Sisu meanwhile was enjoying the favourite Polar Bear occupation of bringing as many toys together as possible.
Flocke likes to walk along the front of her enclosure showing her shape off.
Tala is now nearly as big as Flocke. Flocke heads for the food. Tala at the back heads for the lake.
Gardening is a well known Polar Bear activity and one of the cubs has found a pleasant part of the third enclosure.
The big new thing for me was seeing Indie and Yuma together with Hamish and Nobby. My first glimpse of them was at their pool party in the third enclosure of Project Polar One.
The big enclosures make it hard to film the Bears on a phone but the shots do show how much room there is.
Sisu was next door with Luka. Luka spent most of the time resting and seemed happy to let Sisu gather up all the toys in the original large enclosure.
With the recent rain the Yorkshire countryside made a lovely green backdrop to the pool party.
Nobby is always a distinctive bear when he takes a rest in the sun. Unlike Hamish he tends to keep out of the way of the cubs but he does chase them now and again.
Hamish has all his energy used up by Indie and Yuma. Here he strides along purposely.
Sisu is settling down well at YWP and gets on with all the others. He is now a big and impressive Polar. He sends his best to Mervi.
He is so active that the wound on his left side never gets time to heal but it seems to cause him no problems and he swims and plays a lot. It is not as deep as it was.
Getting shots of Luka was not so easy on this trip. YWP are going to fence off the tunnel area to stop visitors leaning over and disturbing the Bears when they rest there. So this may be my last such shot. Luka is at the front with one of the cubs checking him out.
Gardening is hard work even for Polar Bears as this cub shows. But it also allows a nap in peace away from Hamish.
And so I say goodbye to the Yorkshire Polars till 2023. All eight Bears are now doing well. But it is Rasputin’s kids that have made the biggest impact. It is over two years since I watched Flocke with the amazing three cub family in France at the height of the pandemic. I never dreamt they would come home with me to England!
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