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A pair of European brown bears, Mish and Lucy, created chaos at a wildlife park near Exeter after escaping from their enclosure and heading straight for the honey store, where they indulged in a week’s worth of honey, the park confirmed. The incident led to the evacuation of the park, with trained firearms staff and police involved in managing the situation. Visitors, including children, were directed to a play barn for their safety as emergency procedures were put in place to ensure the public’s safety, according to Mark Habben, director of zoological operations at Wildwood Trust.
The two bears, weighing around 180kg each, roamed free for approximately 55 minutes after breaching their enclosure without causing any harm to the public. Despite the bears making their way to a staff area and indulging in an impromptu feast, the situation was handled smoothly, with staff remaining calm and following emergency protocols. The park launched an investigation into the escape, as there were no signs of damage to the enclosure, aiming to determine how the bears managed to break free.
The escape prompted a “code red” response from the park, leading to an evacuation and lockdown procedure as a precaution. Staff monitored the bears on closed-circuit television (CCTV) and noted that the bears remained calm throughout the ordeal, choosing to stay within the confines of the bear house without breaching any public areas. Mish eventually returned to the enclosure on her own, while Lucy was coaxed back with the help of a bell and her favorite foods. The trust emphasized that the incident was the first of its kind at the park, highlighting the need to investigate the breach to prevent future occurrences.
Following the incident, Wildwood Devon expressed gratitude to their staff and visitors for their cooperation in swiftly and safely resolving the situation. The park announced that it would resume operations as usual the next day. European brown bears, known to grow up to 6.5ft tall and weigh up to 1,500lbs, are among the largest carnivores in existence, often facing threats from hunting and human conflicts. With an estimated population of up to 110,000 worldwide, these bears communicate through scratch marks on trees and possess the ability to stand on two legs
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