Adorable pictures show first polar bear born in the UK in 25 years playing with his mum

This adorable pictures show the first polar bear born in the UK for the last 25 years taking a leisurely swim with its mum.

The three-month-old cub can be seen splashing around with mum Victoria at a wildlife park as the two enjoy some playtime together.

Victoria and her little boy – the first polar bear born in the UK for the last 25 years – both live at the Highland Wildlife Park near Aviemore, Scotland.

The pictures show the pair frolicking in the water at the park, with the cub clinging to his mum and the pair swimming together.

The are also captured on camera rolling around together as the cub lovingly nuzzles his mum.

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Victoria, who gave birth in January, is the only female polar bear in Scotland.

At the time, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) which runs the park, described her cub’s birth as an “outstanding achievement which will have interest across the world”.

Douglas Richardson, Head of Living Collections at the park at Kincraig near Kinguissie, said at the time: “The arrival of a polar bear cub is a tremendous husbandry accomplishment for our team.

“When Victoria arrived here in 2015 it was another tangible step in RZSS developing a new method of captive polar bear management, by providing a naturalistic habitat in a climate that is not so different from the one they have evolved to cope with.

“This success has been based on a radically different approach to their care and husbandry to mirror what would happen in the wild.”

Barbara Smith, RZSS Chief Executive, said: “At RZSS we believe we have a duty to help protect this magnificent species, with the reduction in sea ice, the polar bear’s primary seal hunting platform, predicted to significantly reduce numbers over the next 40 years.

“Our polar bears are part of the European Endangered Species Programme and we hope Victoria’s offspring will survive to reinforce the captive population, which may be needed in the future to augment and help restore a markedly reduced and fragmented wild population.”