A wild black bear infiltrated the Sequoia Park Zoo in Eureka, California.
It remains unknown how it broke into the facility, which is fenced off to the surrounding park.
“Overall, he was a very polite visitor,” Christine Noel, the zoo’s education curator, said, according to SFGate in San Francisco, California.
Noel was the first to spot the bear that Oct. 17 morning, before the zoo had opened.
“He was really, really interested in our three bears, and he introduced himself to all of them through the fence,” zoo director Jim Campbell-Spickler said. “The interaction between them was really sweet, calm and curious. We think he was just looking for a friend, though maybe that’s anthropomorphizing, of course.”
Eureka police and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife helped remove the bear, which took about 20 minutes.
They simply opened the gate and the bear eventually walked out.
“We do not know how the bear got in,” Campbell-Spickler added. “The main perimeter fence was not breached in any way. Likely, he was just very intent on coming in and visiting our bears, so he could have climbed up into a tree and come over.”
While a variety of critters often visit the zoo, this was the facility’s first bear.
“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,” the zoo wrote on Instagram.
Not to be confused with Sequoia National Park, Sequoia Park is a 60-acre recreational area surrounding the zoo, according to the City of Eureka website.
California has an estimated black bear population of about 49,000 to 71,000, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
While bear sightings in California have become increasingly common, the state experienced its first fatal black bear attack in 2023, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Patrice Miller, 71, was found mauled to death at her home in the town of Downieville.
The bear responsible was later trapped and euthanized.
“Black bears are not dangerous animals, but if they associate our homes or cabins or campgrounds as an easy source of food they lose their natural fear of people and their actions get bolder and bolder,” Peter Tira, a spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, told the Los Angeles Times in June 2024.
“This is the most extreme example we’ve seen in state history,” he said.
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