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Edinburgh Reporter
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Reporter
Oldest rockhopper in town
Keepers at Edinburgh Zoo recently celebrated their oldest penguin when Northern rockhopper Nestor turned 32 years old. The 20 inch tall penguin has been dubbed 'oldest rocker in town' — and he even has a mate exactly half his age. The oldest penguin of any kind at Edinburgh Zoo, he is also believed to be currently the third longest-lived rockhopper penguin in the world. Nestor celebrated his birthday chilling out in the shade in the attraction's Penguins Rock, with his long term mate, 16 year old Issy. Edinburgh Zoo animal keeper Katherine Burnet, said: 'Nestor is a really nice boy and our oldest penguin. 'At the ripe old age of 32 now, he can be a little slower than some of the other penguins in the colony, but he's lovely to work with. 'It's amazing to think he's the third oldest rockhopper in the world. He's already lived over twice the lifespan of a rockhopper in the wild.' Rockhoppers are among the smallest penguins, easily recognised by their bright yellow head plumage and red eyes. The species has declined by 90 per cent in the wild since the 1950s and is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. Nestor hatched in France in 1993 and also spent time in Belgium before coming to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) attraction in 2006. He can be identified among the other rockhoppers in his colony by the unique blue and pink coloured band on his right wing. Nestor can be found spending most of his time around the pool with long term partner Issy. They can be seen waddling around their enclosure or preening one another on their nesting ring in a shaded area to the rear of the colony. Katherine said: 'Nestor and Issy have been pair bonded for a few years now and he takes really good care of her. There may be a 16 year age gap but they make a really sweet couple. 'They tend to go around the enclosure together and wherever you see one you often find the other. They have certain spots they frequent. 'Nestor is quite a chilled out boy. He tends to avoid any drama going on in the colony, although he can be quite protective of Issy and he will tell the youngsters off if they come too close to his nest. 'He's also pretty smart so when it's sunny or hot you'll find him in the shade keeping cool.' Edinburgh Zoo is home to over 100 Gentoo, Northern rockhopper and King penguins. The attraction is famed for its Penguin Parade, which first took place in 1951 when a keeper accidentally left the gate open and a few curious penguins left the enclosure. The parade became a much-loved daily ritual until March 2020, when it was stopped to avoid people gathering in large crowds during Covid. The Zoo now hosts the 'Wee Waddle', a reimagined version, which is completely voluntary. Penguins are not coerced into taking part or leaving their enclosure. There is also a small, 'penguin-sized' fence separating the birds from visitors along the short route. Edinburgh was previously home to the world's oldest rockhopper penguin. Mrs Wolowitz was killed by a fox that broke into the enclosure in 2022, just months after she celebrated her 35th birthday. The world's oldest rockhopper is now thought to be 34-year-old JT in Moody Gardens, Texas, a year older than 33-year-old female Janet who lives at Montreal Biodome in Canada, and two years older than Edinburgh's Nestor. Edinburgh Zoo has the oldest Rockhopper 32 (Back and Right) and his partner Issy 16 Picture Alan Simpson Edinburgh Zoo has the oldest Rockhopper 32 (Back and Right) and his partner Issy 16 Picture Alan Simpson Edinburgh Zoo has the oldest Rockhopper 32 (Back and Right) and his partner Issy 16 Picture Alan Simpson Keeper Katherine Burnet PHOTO Alan Simpson The penguin enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo Picture Alan Simpson Like this: Like Related
Daily Mirror
21-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Oldest polar bear in Britain put to sleep after bringing 'joy' to thousands
Keepers at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland Highland Wildlife Park made the difficult decision to euthanise Victoria, 28, after she began to suffer age-related health problems The UK's oldest polar bear has been put to sleep after experiencing age-related health issues, as she was praised as " a joy to all" visitors. Victoria, aged 28, had been receiving geriatric care at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) Highland Wildlife Park near Kingussie in the Scottish Highlands, which had given her a new lease of life at first, as she was able to climb once again. However on Tuesday the charity made the extremely difficult decision to euthanise the mother bear after taking her quality of life and wellbeing into account. Staff at the zoo described the polar bear as an 'excellent mother' who was a joy to all visitors to have seen the happy family. 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.' Victoria was born in Rostock Zoo in Germany in December 1996 and first gave birth in 2008 at Aalborg Zoo in Denmark to a female her keepers named Malik. Only a small percentage of polar bears live past 18 in the wild. The Highland Park said in a statement: 'The RZSS is sad to share the loss of Victoria, the UK's oldest polar bear, who 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 Victoria should be put to sleep. Victoria's age is testament to the world class care she received from her keepers and veterinary team. 'She leaves an incredible legacy through her cubs who play an essential role in the European breeding programme, which ensures a healthy and genetically diverse population of these bears living in human care.' Last year research showed polar bears face a growing risk of contracting viruses, bacteria and parasites that they were less likely to encounter just 30 years ago as a result of climate change. Not only is the species threatened by rising temperatures melting their habitat, the study has also provided clues about how polar bear disease could also be linked to ice loss. Scientists examined blood samples from bears in the Chukchi Sea - between Alaska and Russia and tested for six different pathogens in total - viruses, bacteria or parasites. Dr Karyn Rode said: "Bears in general are pretty robust to disease. It's not typically been known to affect bear population, but I think what it just highlights is that things [in the Arctic] are changing."
Press and Journal
21-05-2025
- Health
- Press and Journal
Highland Wildlife Park announces UK's oldest polar bear has died
The UK's oldest polar bear Victoria has died at age 28, the Highland Wildlife Park has announced. The much-loved resident of the Kincraig park had been experiencing age-related health problems for several months. The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) confirmed she was receiving geriatric care back in December. As her quality of life and wellbeing continued to decline, the charity's vets advised Victoria should be put to sleep. The Highland Wildlife Park, where she has lived for the past decade, said she leaves behind an incredible legacy through her cubs. David Field, chief executive of RZSS, 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.' Victoria was born at Rostock Zoo in Germany in December 1996. At 28-years-old, she was an old lady, as few polar bears live past 18 in the wild. RZSS said her age is a testament to the care she received from her keepers and the vet team. Victoria gave birth to her first cub, a girl named Malik, at Aalborg Zoo in Denmark in 2008. During her time at the Highland Wildlife Park, she became a mum to two boys, including the first polar bear to be born in the UK for 25 years. Hamish was born in 2017 and Brodie followed in 2021. RZSS said her cubs play an 'essential role' in the breeding programme, which ensures a healthy and diverse population. Three-year-old Brodie still lives at the Highland park alongside older male polar bears, Walker and Arktos. Meanwhile, Hamish was moved to Yorkshire Wildlife Park in 2020 following a recommendation from the European Endangered Species Programme.
Daily Record
21-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
UK's oldest polar bear euthanised at Scots wildlife park after months of geriatric care
Victoria, who was 28, was homed at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS)'s Highland Wildlife Park. The UK's oldest polar bear has died after suffering 'age-related health problems', forcing conservation vets to euthanise her. Victoria, who was 28, was homed at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS)'s Highland Wildlife Park. Her keepers confirmed she was put to sleep on Tuesday after advice from vets. Officials at the RSZZ said in a statement: 'The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) is sad to share the loss of Victoria, the UK's oldest polar bear, who had been experiencing age related health problems and receiving geriatric care. "Taking into account her quality of life and wellbeing, our wildlife conservation charity's vets advised that Victoria should be put to sleep." Officials say only a small percentage of polar bears surpass 18 in the wild, with Victoria's age a testament to the"world class care" she received. Their statement added: "She leaves an incredible legacy through her cubs who play an essential role in the European breeding programme, which ensures a healthy and genetically diverse population of these bears living in human care." Victoria had been receiving geriatric care since December of last year. She was mum to Hamish, who was the first polar cub to be born in the UK in 25 years when he was born in 2017, followed by Brodie in 2021. The aging polar bear shared an enclosure at a park in the Cairngorms, Brodie aged three. In December the RZSS said keepers noticed Victoria was struggling to keep up with Brodie. They found she had stopped demonstrating some physical behaviours such as climbing on her back legs. Vets discovered Victoria was suffering from joint pain likely to be arthritis. She was given medication to manage the pain, and vets told in their December update how the treatment had 'given her a new lease of life'. Victoria spent just over 10 years at the Highland Wildlife Park after arriving in March 2015. Born in 1996 at Rostock Zoo in Germany, she first became a mother after giving birth at Aalborg Zoo in Denmark in 2008, to a female cub called Malik. Victoria would have been in her 90s in human years. David Field, RZSS CEO, added, '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.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. The RZSS drew on the experiences of other zoos and studies of polar skeletal remains to help understand wear and tear on the animals bodies. Healthcare provided to domestic cats and dogs also helped guide the care of Victoria. The park has had an elderly polar bear before. Mercedes died at the park in April 2011 at the age of 30.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
UK's oldest polar bear euthanised as health fails
The UK's oldest polar bear has been euthanised due to her deteriorating health, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) has said. Victoria, who was 28, was the mother of Hamish, who in January 2018 was the first polar bear cub to be born in the UK in 25 years. Her keepers at RZSS' Highland Wildlife Park said she had been receiving geriatric care, and the decision to end her life on Tuesday was taken on the advice of vets. Victoria had shared an enclosure at the park, near Aviemore, with her second cub Brodie, aged three. The Highland Wildlife Park also has two adult male bears, 16-year-old Walker and Arktos, who is 17 and is the father of Hamish and Brodie. Hamish was moved in 2020 to Doncaster's Yorkshire Wildlife Park Resort, where he is one of six polar bears. How do you take care of an elderly polar bear? Park's aged polar bear receiving geriatric care 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. RZSS said in December that keepers had noticed Victoria was struggling to keep up with Brodie. Her specialist care included medication to give her relief from joint pain. Victoria's diet included cod liver oil, lard, salmon oil and oily fish like sardines, mackerel and salmon. The food was given in an attempt to achieve the benefits she would have enjoyed from eating seals in the wild. The RZSS said: "We are sad to share the loss of Victoria, the UK's oldest polar bear, who was experiencing age-related health problems and had been receiving geriatric care. "Taking into account her quality of life and wellbeing, our wildlife conservation charity's vets advised that Victoria should be put to sleep." It added: "She leaves an incredible legacy through her cubs who play an essential role in the European breeding programme, which ensures a healthy and genetically diverse population of these bears living in human care." Victoria was born in 1996 at Rostock Zoo in Germany and had previously given birth at Aalborg Zoo in Denmark in 2008. While at Aalborg she gave birth to a female cub called Malik. She arrived at RZSS' Highland Wildlife Park in March 2015. During Victoria's later care, RZSS drew on the experiences of other zoos and studies of polar bear skeletal remains to help understand wear and tear on the animals' bodies. Healthcare provided to domestic cats and dogs also helped guide the care of Victoria. The park has had an elderly polar bear before. Mercedes died at the park in April 2011 at the age of 30. RZSS
