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Bears play on frozen lake at safari park

PA Media A black bear on its back on the edge of the frozen lake, looking like it is playing and having fun. Its body is spreadeagled with its paws in the air, and its pink tongue is poking out. We see one section of the lake, edged by frozen grass.PA Media
The bears were seen rolling around and slipping over on the lake

A family of North American black bears have been spotted playing on a frozen lake at a UK safari park, as they embraced the cold weather.

Mother bear Phoenix, and her four yearlings, Harvard, Maple, Colorado and Aspen, took to the ice after a lake froze over in their enclosure at Woburn Safari Park, Bedfordshire.

They were seen rolling around, play fighting and losing their balance, which park keepers described as "a unique reaction to the ice".

The bears used their paws and noses to scratch at the ice as they cautiously navigated the slippery surface.

PA Media Two black bears face one another and interact on the frozen lake, which looks almost black. There is frozen grass in the background. The bear on the left is on its back with its legs or paws in the air, while the other bear sits next to it and pats it. It is hard to see where one bear ends and the other begins!PA Media
Young bears Harvard, Maple, Colorado and Aspen took to the ice along with their mother Phoenix

Keepers said the young bears engaged in playful sparring and "took advantage of their opponents' unsteady footing on the icy terrain".

PA Media Two black bears face one another and interact on the frozen lake, which looks almost black. There is frozen grass in the background. The bear on the right sits on its bottom and holds out its right paw to cuff the other bear's head, and has its mouth open. The opposite bear is crouching and leaning forward, with its right paw held out towards the other bear's foot. Its mouth is also open and it is slightly smaller.PA Media
The black bears enjoyed sparring together on the ice

Parts of the UK faced sub-zero temperatures at the weekend, with the mercury hitting -18.9C on Saturday morning in Altnaharra, Scotland, making it the UK's coldest January night in 15 years.

Woburn experienced lows of -4C on Friday night, well below the typical average for England of about 1.5 to 1.6C.

The keepers at Woburn Safari Park said the weather had "posed some challenging conditions" but added it was "nice to know that it hasn't stopped the bears having fun".

While the bears are in a controlled environment, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service warned against residents walking on frozen bodies of water.

A spokesperson said: "With sub-zero temperatures many bodies of water will freeze over, these may look like fun places to play but stepping onto the ice could cost you your life."

They continued: "Avoid walking or playing near the edge. If you're walking a dog, keep it on a lead so that they're not at risk of falling in. If someone falls through the ice call 999 immediately, and never walk onto the ice to help them."

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