Bear’s shocking visit to Disney World forces multiple ride closures
“The Most Magical Place on Earth” briefly lost some of its magic.
An adult female black bear spotted at Disney World forced multiple rides to be shut down on Monday.
The bear was spotted Monday morning hanging in a tree near the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Frontierland, local authorities told Fox 35 in Orlando.
The popular ride was shut down along with several others, including Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, the Hall of Presidents, the Liberty Square Riverboat, Tom Sawyer Island, Jungle Cruise and the Walt Disney World Railroad, with areas of Fantasyland, Frontierland and Main Street temporarily closed.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and local law enforcement arrived on the scene and “safely captured” the black bear inside the Magic Kingdom several hours later, the FWC and Disney World Resorts both told The Post in statements.
Aerial footage from Orlando station WESH appeared to show the big beast’s eventual capture.
As of 3 p.m., all rides were open again, except for the Walt Disney World Railroad.
However, no details on where the bear was captured, its size or condition, or how it wandered onto the property have been released.
The FWC told The Post that the bear was likely searching for food ahead of winter hibernation, likely scrounging for more than the bare necessities “to pack on fat reserves for the winter” — black bears eat nearly 20,000 calories each day in the fall.
“In most cases, it is best for bears to be given space and to move along on their own, but given this situation, staff are working on capturing and relocating the bear,” the FWC’s statement continued.
The commission announced plans to relocate the animal in or around the Ocala National Forest in Marion County, Florida — about 90 minutes north of the Walt Disney World Resort.
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