The first polar bear born in the UK for 25 years has taken a swim for the first time, with its mother there to help it along.

The youngster, who lives in a special enclosure at the Highland Wildlife Park near Kingussie, seemed to enjoy having a splash about in the water.

The cub is nearly three-and-a-half months old and is growing in size and confidence, increasingly venturing further from its mother Victoria.

The gender of the unnamed cub is not yet known, however keepers expect they will find this out within the next two months when they have had a chance to examine it.

A list of names has been drawn up by those at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland's park, but they remain secret.

Victoria remained in her maternity den for four months before taking her cub outside.

It was born in the week before Christmas after Victoria mated with Arktos, one of two male polar bears at the park.

The birth of the youngster in December was confirmed by high-pitched noises from inside the den.

Despite becoming more adventurous, the cub still needs regular naps throughout the day. It is expected to stay with its mother for at least two years.