30.11.2022 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!
Dear Ralph
Thank you very much for your interesting report.
Flocke sees very well. Her coat looks dense and fluffy. We know that this is not the case, but to me the coat looks fluffy.
I can understand that Flocke’s boys have stirred up the group. Two teenagers bursting with self-confidence change every group.
Nice and very apt, I thought you said that Sisu, meanwhile, was enjoying the polar bears’ favourite pastime of gathering as many toys as possible. Simply wonderful, that sentence.
I always look at the pictures from the YWP with enthusiasm. The bears really do live beautifully.
Hugs,
Anita
Dear Ralph,
It was a great pleasure for me to publish your excellent report from YWP again!
All the bears seem to be doing fine. Flocke’s kids are growing so fast …. it wasn’t such a long time ago they were small fur balls. 🙂
Thank you for the greetings from Sisu! He looks so happy and I’m glad to know there are many toys for him to gather. My Viking is a big ‘hamster’. 🙂 I wish he was a little less active so his wound could heal properly but as long as it doesn’t bother him – baby bear don’t care. 🙂
What a nice visit you had in YWP. Thank you for inviting us to join you!
Hugs from Mervi
Dear Ralph!
Flocke looks beautiful. It is great that she and Tala are on the good terms. They have enough place to stay alone or to play together.
Indie and Yuma have managed to be accepted into the group of big boys.
Sisu’s wound looks better as in summer.
Hugs
Ludmila
Dear Ralph!
Thank you for your latest impressions of the polar bears at YWP!
These bears are really lucky to have been taken in Yorkshire before finding a permanent new home that will hopefully meet their needs. Nothing better could have happened to them!
Personally, I get tired when I look at the distances visitors have to walk to visit all eight polar bears…. For the bears, all that space is wonderful!
Hugs
Anke
Dear Ralph,
yes, that is indeed an extraordinary stroke of luck that your darlings from swm Marineland Antibes have come all three together with their mother to the wonderful Yorkshire Park. And this luck to have visited them there so many times already, I begrudge you with all my heart!
Sisu’s wound doesn’t look so bad anymore and will hopefully close completely soon.
Thank you very much for your intense observations and accurate description of the great bears living community.
Best regards and wishes until the next trip in 2023!
Britta-Gudrun
Dear Ralph,
How wonderful to see the four boys together and getting along. Truly a boys’ club with plenty of toys for all.
And it is nice that Tala has someone to play with, so she is not alone. Flocke is looking so lovely these days. She must go to the beauty salon regularly to have her fur fluffed up.
All the best to you in 2023. And to the bears too.
Molly
Thank you very much dear Ralph.
Best wishes to Flocke, Tala, Yuma, Indy, Nobby, Sisu, Hamish and Luka.
Thank you, dear Ralph, for your lively and informatic ‘YWP-November-report’ with lots of interesting observations. You spoiled your readers/watchers once more in sharing your impressions in words and pics.
“They all get along well” is a sentence we would like to read or to see true much more often in so many correlations (situations and relations of various kinds).
The pool party photograph is fun! Well-done!