UK's oldest polar bear put to sleep at the RZSS' Highland Wildlife Park

Victoria, the UK’s oldest polar bear, has been euthanised at a wildlife park in Scotland.

The RZSS’ Highland Wildlife Park said the 28-year-old had been receiving geriatric care for deteriorating health and the decision to end her life on Tuesday followed a recommendation from vets.

It came after keepers at the park noticed she was struggling to keep up with her youngest cub, Brodie, in December 2024.

Victoria was born in 1996 at Rostock Zoo in Germany and had previously given birth to a female cub called Malik at Aalborg Zoo in Denmark in 2008.

Park keepers noticed Victoria struggling to keep up with her cub at the Highland Wildlife Park in 2018. Supplied

She arrived at RZSS’ Highland Wildlife Park in March 2015.

Victoria had shared an enclosure at the park, near Aviemore, with Brodie, aged three, and in 2018 gave birth to Hamish, the first cub to be born in the UK in 25 years.

Hamish was subsequently moved in 2020 to Doncaster’s Yorkshire Wildlife Park Resort, where he is one of six polar bears.

The Highland Wildlife Park now has two adult male bears, 16-year-old Walker and Arktos, who is 17 and is the father of Hamish and Brodie.

Polar bears can live into their early 30s, but survive an average of 15 to 18 years in the wild.

Victoria’s keepers said 28 was the equivalent of her being in her 90s in human years.

David Field, RZSS CEO, said, “Victoria was an excellent mother and seeing her bring up two big, healthy boys has been a joy for our charity’s dedicated teams and the hundreds of thousands of visitors who have flocked to see the family, and learn more about the threats these amazing animals face in the wild.”