Bear hugs aplenty as brothers are united for the first time!

By ELIZABETH HUNTER FOR THE SCOTTISH DAILY MAIL Published: 19:10, 8 July 2026 | Updated: 19:27, 8 July 2026 As family reunions go, not many end up with playfighting, wrestling and a swim in a lake. However, that’s exactly what zoo staff were treated to when two polar bear brothers that were born in Scotland met for the first time. Brodie and Hamish were both born at the Highland Wildlife Park near Kincraig, Inverness-shire. Until now, they had never met as Hamish moved to Yorkshire Wildlife Park in 2020 – a year before Brodie was born. However, that all changed after Brodie was given a ‘holiday’ at the park in Doncaster as his enclosure is rebuilt, allowing the pair to meet. Brodie meets his brother Hamish for the first time And there was no shortage of bear hugs!  Hamish had been the first polar bear cub born in the UK for 25 years  Bex Brown, an animal keeper at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, said: ‘It was lovely to see them playing together in the water. Although Hamish and Brodie are brothers, this is the first time they have met so it’s debatable whether they recognise their relation. But it’s interesting to see similarities in the brothers. ‘They were both single cubs so they both like their own way. ‘Some days Brodie uses his cheeky appeal to hold top spot, and other days Hamish seems to shine as the big brother who is in charge. Should zoos reunite separated animal siblings even if they might not recognize each other? What's your view?‘We will miss Brodie when he returns home.’