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Zoo News
Mercedes gets ready to make her move
6 October 2009
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) are delighted to announce that all funds required to move Mercedes to the Highland Wildlife Park have now been secured following a public appeal. Over 800 donations were received for the £75,000 appeal, including two private donations over £10,000. The finishing touches are now being made to her enclosure in the Highlands, which is over four acres and one of the largest polar bear enclosures in Europe.
The last day to see Mercedes at Edinburgh Zoo will be Sunday 18 October. Following that, the final preparations will be made for her departure. When she arrives at the Highland Wildlife Park she will have time to get used to her new surroundings before being unveiled to the public.
David Windmill, Chief Executive for RZSS, said:
“Mercedes has been at Edinburgh Zoo for 25 years and has been a favourite with both visitors and staff and I know her keepers will be sad to see her go. However she’s still in the RZSS animal collection and the Highland Wildlife Park is a much more suitable environment for a polar bear.
“On the day of the move Mercedes will walk into her transport crate, as she has been trained to do by the keepers. She will then travel by road to the Highland Wildlife Park. It is difficult to say when the public will be able to see her as we’re going to give her as much time as she needs to settle in. However, we hope that people will be able to see her by the end of October.
“We realise that the departure of Mercedes will leave a void at Edinburgh Zoo and the wheels are in motion to introduce new and exciting species in the coming months. We will unveil these plans as soon as the details have been confirmed.”
Editor’s Notes
About Mercedes
- Mercedes, the only polar bear in a UK zoo, has been in Edinburgh since 1984. She was rescued from her native Canada after she was scheduled to be shot. Unfortunately she began roaming into a nearby town in search of food and, as they are dangerous animals, this behaviour had to be discouraged. Initially, she was captured and the number ‘39’ was painted on her coat which allowed her to be tracked. On her third visit the decision was made to shoot her. Luckily, she was rescued and RZSS offered her a home at Edinburgh Zoo.
- It was one of RZSS’s life members who helped rescue Mercedes from Canada. She enlisted the help of her cousin, a former Minister of Fisheries in Canada, to find a new home for her.
- When Mercedes arrived at Edinburgh Zoo she was paired with a male polar bear called Barney. They produced two cubs, To-Nuik and Ohoto. Barney passed away 13 years ago, since then Mercedes has been on her own.
- Mercedes currently has a comprehensive and constantly evolving enrichment programme to stimulate her. She has also been trained by the keepers to stand on her back legs which allow them to check her paws and chest without the need for anesthesia.
- The original estimations put the cost of a new enclosure at £300,000. However, a team of soldiers from the Army (51 Parachute Squadron Royal Engineers) donated their time, skills and equipment to help build the structure of the enclosure which drastically reduced the cost to £75,000.
About Highland Wildlife Park
- This is one of a series of moves within the animal collections of both attractions, both of which are operated by RZSS. Last year the Park welcomed snow monkeys, red pandas and Amur tigers.
- Until recently, the Highland Wildlife Park’s animal collection contained species representing Scotland’s past and present such as Scottish wildcats and European wolves. The expanded new collection includes many of its existing animals but has been widened to include animals from mountain and tundra habitats from around the world. It is hoped that these developments will increase visitor numbers, which in turn will help continue to fund conservation work in the wild, both in Scotland and further afield.
- The Highland Wildlife Park is owned by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland which also owns Edinburgh Zoo.
- RZSS was founded by visionary lawyer Thomas Gillespie. The Society was set up in 1909 ‘to promote, facilitate and encourage the study of zoology and kindred subjects and to foster and develop amongst the people an interest in and knowledge of animal life’. The Society celebrates its centenary this year.
- The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland is a registered charity, charity no SC004064.
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