NEWS
Black Bear That Shut Down Rides At Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Safely Captured
Courtesy of Disney
A black bear inside Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom theme park in Florida was captured Monday after several rides were forced to shut down, officials said.
The adult female black bear was found in a tree at the Magic Kingdom near the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride in Frontierland on Monday morning. Several attractions and rides were shut down on that side of the park, which included Frontierland, Liberty Square and Adventureland.
Along with the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the Country Bear Jamboree, Enchanted Tiki Room, Hall of Presidents, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, Magic Carpets of Aladdin, Pirates of the Caribbean, Swiss Family Tree House, Tom Sawyer Island, and Under the Sea – Journey of The Little Mermaid, were all temporarily shut down, per reports.
Biologists and wildlife officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded to the park. The bear was safely captured Monday afternoon, officials said. It wasn’t immediately clear where the bear was being taken.
The FWC last week warned residents about this fall’s upcoming “Fat Bear Week.” Bears, including Florida’s black bears, become more active in the fall as they search for additional food to eat before their winter hibernation. Adult bears need to eat around 20,000 calories per day in the fall to increase their fat reserves.
“Any accessible food source, such as unsecured garbage, pet food or bird seed, can be enticing to a hungry bear preparing for the winter, potentially drawing them into conflict with people,” said FWC Bear Management Program Coordinator, Mike Orlando. “However, if bears don’t find a food source in a neighborhood, they’ll move on.”
Wildlife officials warned residents and visitors to never approach or feed bears, which is illegal in Florida, along with leaving out food that attracts them. Feeding bears can make them lose their natural aversion to humans, and increase potential conflicts, officials said.
TMX contributed to this article.
