22.8.2009 – Source The Edinburgh Zoo

4 August 2009: Plans to move Mercedes the polar bear from Edinburgh Zoo to the Highland Wildlife Park are well under way. The public appeal has almost reached the £75,000 target and the keepers have been working with Mercedes to train her to walk into the crate she’ll be transported in.

The public appeal, launched by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) in June, is two thirds of the way towards completing the total figure required. £27,000 is still needed to move her to the largest polar bear enclosure in Europe at the Highland Wildlife Park, near Aviemore. The appeal received fantastic public support with the highest individual donation being £10,000. Work has already begun on her enclosure, and if the funds are raised by the end of September, she’ll be on her way to her Highland home in autumn.

Zoe Mobey, Donor Development Manager for RZSS, said:

“I’d like to thank the public for all their support so far. We have already received some extremely generous donations so far and we only have to raise £27,000 more to complete her enclosure. There are several ways that people can donate – online at rzss.org.uk or by calling 0131 314 0374. We have also set up a new service where members of the public can donate £1.50 by texting ZOO to 82540.”

Meanwhile, Mercedes has also been preparing for her journey to the Highland Wildlife Park. Her transport crate was place in front of her enclosure a couple of months ago and since then, keepers have been working with her every day to ensure the move goes as smoothly as possible.

Alison Maclean, Head Keeper of Carnivores, explains:

“It is quite risky to sedate a large mammal so we have been training Mercedes to walk into the transport crate. We’ve been doing this using positive reinforcement – she has learned that when she walks into the crate she gets a reward, such as a piece of cooked chicken. She responded to the training extremely quickly and has been walking in and out of her crate for a few weeks now. We are confident that the move will go well and we’re looking forward to helping her settle into her new home.

For further info and images of Mercedes, please contact Maxine Finlay, Communications Officer, on 0131 314 0312

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, which is a natural social state for this solitary species.

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 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 a series of moves within the animal collections of both parks, 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 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.