Wild Bear Breaks Into Zoo To Visit the Resident Bears

The Sequoia Park Zoo in California got an unexpected visitor when a wild bear snuck in to visit the zoo’s resident bears. The zoo shared details of their “eventful morning” on social media. It appears the curious bear managed to scale the zoo’s outer fencing—likely using his tree-climbing skills—before wandering over to the bear enclosure to say hello to three of the zoo’s bears.

Sequoia Park Zoo shared:

“The wild bear did not appear aggressive and was observed interacting with Tule, Ishŭng, and Kunabulilh through their habitat fencing…Overall, he was a very polite visitor. He stayed on the boardwalk path, kept two feet on the ground and didn’t try to climb over the railings! (But seriously. When we say “wildlife welcome”, this isn’t exactly what we have in mind.”

Staff followed their safety protocols to assess the situation, and eventually, the bear calmly exited after workers opened a service gate for him.

They wrote: “At no point did the wild bear enter any animal habitats and, after a brief exploration of the enrichment items around the night house, the bear was safely coaxed back into the woods through a service gate.”

The zoo said that their gates and fencing are all intact and they will continue to monitor the situation. They also wrote, “Wild bears and other animals call Sequoia Park home, and we remind our guests to responsibly live alongside them by observing wildlife from a distance, staying on marked trails and always being aware of your surroundings.”