Female polar bear gives partner the cold shoulder

Staff at Dublin Zoo noticed that their female polar bear had begun pacing up and down persistently and her moods were swinging wildly.

They suspected that her male partner was at the heart of the problem so they commissioned a study to find out what was wrong. And indeed it showed that he was the cause of her distress: she was unable to get away from him.

Now the bears are to be moved to a zoo in Hungary where there is enough room to separate them and give the female her own space.

"The report found that the female demonstrates symptoms of stress when she is near the male and a retreat exclusive to the female polar bear was recommended," Dublin Zoo's director, Leo Oosterweghel, said.

He said the enclosure in Dublin could not be redesigned so they had to hunt for a new home. Staff found the perfect location for the animals at Hungary's Sosto Zoo.

It was large with two separate sections, and "offers the female an area to retreat to when she chooses", Mr Oosterweghel enthused.