AssetID: 56078110
Headline: Polar bear returns to Scottish Highlands with friend in tow
Caption: A polar bear has returned home to the Scottish Highlands after almost a year away – and he has brought his older cousin with him. Four-year-old Brodie is back at Highland Wildlife Park following a temporary stay in Yorkshire while his enclosure underwent renovations. But the youngster did not make the journey north alone. He was joined by 14-year-old Luka after the pair struck up an unlikely friendship during Brodie’s stay at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. Brodie was moved south in November 2025 while improvement work was carried out at his home at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Highland Wildlife Park. With the renovations now complete, the two bears travelled to the Highlands on Tuesday (6 Oct). Keepers said energetic Brodie became close to the older and considerably more laid-back Luka while in Yorkshire. The decision to bring Luka north means the pair can continue their bond and keep each other company. Lucy Petrie, animal operations manager at Highland Wildlife Park, said: “The boy is back! We’ve all really missed Brodie so are thrilled to have him back with us. “We’ll have our work cut out. He’s young, energetic, confident but also a wee bit naughty. “Brodie loves playing and testing boundaries, trying to pinch food and generally making a bit of a nuisance of himself. “Luka is fourteen so he doesn’t have plenty of patience for Brodie’s scampish ways. “His whole attitude is ‘I’m too old for this’ and that really balances them out. It’s a lovely relationship.” The renovation work has improved the bears’ indoor accommodation, water pool and fencing.
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