Yorkshire Wildlife Park Yorkshire Wildlife Park News 2021

Seems strange to move all four of them now as the cubs will be around one-and-a-half and would leave mum at 2 years old, I wouldn't have thought they'd have room for eight, even if they moved the two boys in with the other four. The rescue and rehabilitation reserve can be split into two enclosures as was done for the brown bears but the back enclosure is significantly smaller than the front. The staff have also denied they would get a female as they were worried it would lead to increased aggression, at the moment they have to separate Luca from the other three during breeding season, at the moment they can separate all four of them in the house and the three reserves and the yard. Not that it isn't good news but it doesn't seem very well thought out.

I am aware that Highlands keep their bears (a breeding age female and two males) at separate ends of their site but they are much larger than YWP and one of the males is/was moved in with Victoria to breed, I am also unsure if they keep their two males together during this time when Victoria is not breeding? This might finally motivate them to build their fourth polar reserve as I'm sure was originally planned but never materialised.
 
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katinakalinakaterina said:
I am aware that Highlands keep their bears (a breeding age female and two males) at separate ends of their site but they are much larger than YWP and one of the males is/was moved in with Victoria to breed, I am also unsure if they keep their two males together during this time when Victoria is not breeding?
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Yes Highland keep the 2 males in a separate enclosure from Victoria. One was moved to allowing breeding, and then returned back to the male enclosure where the 2 males live together.
 
The original plans for project polar did specify four reserves (plus the smaller 'holding area' which was used to quarantine the bears upon arrival) having had the opportunity to go into the indoor area there is indeed a gate within the house which would open onto this as-yet-unbuilt fourth area.
 

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I can confirm that 4 bears are in the rescue/rehab reserve. The walkway to the enclosure is closed at the moment but if you’re lucky you can spot them from the camel viewing point.
 
Went yesterday and you could see them from the camel viewing area, all four where charging about having fun in the sun definitely an active group
 
robking1991 said:
Facebook post about the 4 new Polar Bears arriving. It is amazing to think they now have 8 Polar Bears!
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A. nice addition, I agree. It will be interesting to learn what the long term plans are for polar bear given that just Highland WP and YWP are current holders. Are there any other zoos locally aspiring to acquire polar bears at all?
 
Elephants would be great. When I visited the park in 2015 I asked them if they would ever get elephants and they said no because they dont have enough space but that was before the expansion was even thought about so I would love to see elephants
 
felis silvestris said:
I think there could be elephants soon
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It would be amazing if they did get elephants, especially as I’m sure YWP would build an extraordinary enclosure, but I was reading yesterday about there being discussions in government about a potential ban on elephant keeping in the UK under the new Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill so not sure if it will happen?
 
Gelada said:
It would be amazing if they did get elephants, especially as I’m sure YWP would build an extraordinary enclosure, but I was reading yesterday about there being discussions in government about a potential ban on elephant keeping in the UK under the new Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill so not sure if it will happen?
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Gelada said:
It would be amazing if they did get elephants, especially as I’m sure YWP would build an extraordinary enclosure, but I was reading yesterday about there being discussions in government about a potential ban on elephant keeping in the UK under the new Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill so not sure if it will happen?
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I hope they don't ban elephants as ywp would give them a fantastic enclosure.
 
Willem-YWP Superfan said:
Does anyone know about any future species planned for ywp. Would be really interesting to find out about future plans.
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A keeper there (who shall remain anonymous) commented that gorillas are a future possibility.

Gelada said:
It would be amazing if they did get elephants, especially as I’m sure YWP would build an extraordinary enclosure, but I was reading yesterday about there being discussions in government about a potential ban on elephant keeping in the UK under the new Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill so not sure if it will happen?
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On the Chester Zoo website, they've stated that, apparently, the minister in question (Zach Goldsmith) has denied the reports and has stated that the Government do not intend to ban elephants in UK zoos.

However, I think they've said YWP are probably never going to have elephants in the past.
 
Nathano said:
On the Chester Zoo website, they've stated that, apparently, the minister in question (Zach Goldsmith) has denied the reports and has stated that the Government do not intend to ban elephants in UK zoos.
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oh ok that is good news then, I was concerned especially as elephant are becoming more endangered, that it would be a shame that UK zoos wouldn’t be able to assist with maintaining a healthly captive population
 
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