PREVIEW

Britain's Oldest Polar Bear Dies Aged 28. Britain's oldest polar bear, Victoria, has died at the venerable age of 28. Victoria first moved to Aalborg Zoo in Denmark where she gave birth to a girl named Malik. She eventually moved to what would become her long-term home at the Highland Wildlife Park in 2015 and gave birth to two boys there. Her son Hamish was the first polar bear to be born in the UK for 25 years when he emerged in 2017, while she also gave birth to Brodie in 2021. The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) said she had been experiencing age-related health problems and receiving geriatric care. Taking into account her quality of life and wellbeing, the wildlife conservation charity's vets advised that Victoria should be put to sleep. With only a small percentage of polar bears living past 18 in the wild, at 28, Victoria's age is testament to the world class care she received from her keepers and veterinary team.