The UK’s oldest polar bear has died at Yorkshire Wildlife Park.

The 22-year-old bear, called Victor, had been suffering from terminal kidney failure.

Vets were left with no choice but to put him asleep on Friday, said bosses at the park in Doncaster.

They said Victor had spent his time “enjoying the lakes and expansive habitat” in an area called Project Polar, described as “one of the largest reserves in the world”.

He lived with four other polar bears – his grandson Pixel, as well as Nissan, Nobby and Rasputin.

Victor was born in 1998 at Rostock Zoo in Germany and was later moved to Rhenen in the Netherlands to take part in a European breeding programme.

The bear fathered 13 cubs and is known to have many grandchildren around the world.

Victor arrived at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in 2014 after retiring from the breeding programme.

The park’s directors said: “Victor was a great ambassador for his species, inspiring generations and drawing attention to the plight of his species in the wild and the threat of climate change. He will be greatly missed by everyone.”

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