Buoy, that looks like fun! Bear celebrates his first birthday with bright orange ball he found in one of his presents

-European brown bear Loki had hours of fun with after unwrapping his favourite present on his first birthday
-The playful cub was also given fruit, cake and elephant dung at his home in Stirling, Scotland

By Martin Bagot


It's surprising how much fun you can have with a big inflatable orange ball.

Loki the European brown bear couldn't leave this buoy alone after unwrapping it at the safari park where he lives in Scotland.

His first birthday also saw him unwrap Elephant dung, fruit and cake to help him savour the day.

Playful: Loki the one year old European brown bear celebrates at Blair Drummond Safari Park near Stirling

Loki had a great time sniffing and bursting boxes which staff filled with his favourite treats and nutrients.

The young bear was helped by his eight-year-old mother Nellie to open the presents and eat a fruit loaf cake baked in the shape of a number one and decorated with dog biscuits, Loki's favourite snack

The one-year-old, born in Blair Drummond Safari Park near Stirling, was particular taken with a buoy he found in one of the boxes staff wrapped with happy-birthday paper.

He tossed the orange ball around his enclosure until it broke and as he explored inside, managed to get his head stuck in it.

Loki's head keeper Vicky Kydd said: 'We filled big cardboard boxes with lots of his favourite enrichment materials and treat bits which included pine wood shavings, elephant dung, balls and old tyres.

Best gift: Loki unwraps the bright orange buoy on the ice at his Scottish home

'The bears love rolling around in the dung and the wood shavings and it helps them to groom and maintain their coats, particularly over winter.

'We also filled enrichment balls with his favourite treats and Loki had a great time opening his presents.

'I think Nellie was a little bit jealous because they are her favourite treats as well so she was right in there helping Loki open the boxes and I think she stole a few of the presents.'

Loki, like other bears around the world, will build up fat reserves now and run it off in the Spring

Loki enjoys a diet of honey, nuts and dog biscuit cake to help build up a thick warm coat

Loki was named after the Norse god of mischief and weighed just 1kg when born last year. He now ways around 100kg and can continue to grow to as heavy as 450kg

Loki was named after the Norse god of mischief and weighed just 1kg when born last year. He now ways around 100kg and can continue to grow to as heavy as 450kg, around 70st, and live for around 30 years.

His father, Bull, moved to Olmense Zoo in Belgium earlier this year, as the bears only come together for breeding and the male plays no part in raising cubs.

Blair Drummond manager Gary Gilmour said the feast of treats will help the bears as they prepare to hibernate.

'Although the bears are less active now and are eating less food, both Loki and mum Nellie made short work of the cake. Honey, nuts and dog biscuit cake is a really good treat but is also good for healthy growth, producing a nice thick winter coat and winter fat storage.

'Loki will run off any excess fat in the spring. He is so playful and an absolute joy to watch in his enclosure.'

Blair Drummond is closed for winter and reopens in March.


source:dailymail