I suppose this is to be expected as he settles in, but I hope it doesn't mean he is already a pacing bear. Can he see out from any point of the enclosure BR?
I was only at the enclosure for a short time on Tuesday dean so I'm not 100% sure what sort of access he has up the slope where the 2 dens are in the rear of the photo. I think the 2 groups of silver birch and various shrubbery is protected by "hot wires",but if he can climb up the slope then he can look over the other enclosures when they are finished and also see into the woodland area, S.American exhibit and Giant anteater enclosures.
I am going again this evening to the safari night late opening so will have more chance to study it then. Hopefully he will go for a swim or a further wander then he did earlier in the week.
They were definitely Victors paw prints in that photo Pertinax. I don't think we need to worry about him pacing or having any behavioural issues. Apparently when he was released from his transportation crate into a small holding pen at the rear of the accommodation block he just strolled around as though he had always been there. Even on Tuesday after a small group of screaming kids had gone he went for a few short wanders and didn't look like he had a care in the world. He looks one happy bear.
In the Mulhouse Zoo thread in the France Forum, there is a link to a long article (it will translate into English) about a brand new set of enclosures they too have built for Polar bears, as well as a detailed history of their previous Polar bear keeping too. Have a look. Its built along similar lines but probably not as large a space in total as the YWP enclosures-the photos show logs, sand, boulders etc. Another link is that the female of their pair is one of Viktor's offspring from Rhenen Zoo in Holland.
It seems some other Polar Bears in Europe are moving into decent enclosures too, not just here and at Highland Wildlife Park.
Just out of interest, does Yorkshire get snow very often? I'm not too familiar with British weather patterns but it seems that some places don't receive snow on a yearly basis and other parts only get it for a short period of time each year.
