Our planet...how the love began
My nan bought me a stuffed cuddly polar bear. It was fluffy and white with a little red and white striped scarf. I didn’t know at the time that this bear would become one of the most important objects to me. As I loved that little bear, he became scrawny and thin-I’d hugged the stuffing flat! My dad would joke that he was underfed...and I would start to realise that this was in fact happening to living polar bears every day.
I named him Neige (meaning snow in French), and I still take him everywhere with me to this day. He has his own instagram channel (@neigestravels) and reminds me daily of the very real climate crisis.
The polar bear love however, didn’t stop with Neige. Since turning 18, I have become known by family and friends for my love of these bears, and rarely escape a birthday or Christmas without something bear related. It was only last year that I realised Yorkshire Wildlife Park is home to four of these magnificent bears! I found out one evening after Christmas in cold January, and was there the next day (after an hour and 45 minute journey)! Needless to say I have been back a few times since, falling in love with them a little bit more every time, but also with the other animals across the site. I have also explored zoos and wildlife parks closer to home, becoming more passionate about animals and climate change with every visit.
My next blog post will go further into the Polar bear world, and launch Polar Bear Thursday!