MIAMI, Sept 18, 2023 (AFP) – An apparently hungry black bear forced a brief shutdown of some attractions at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in Florida until it was captured, officials said.
Local television station Fox 35 said more than a dozen popular rides at the Orlando theme park were closed after the bear was sighted in a tree, including the “Haunted Mansion” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.”
“During the fall, bears are more active as they search for food to pack on fat reserves for the winter,” Lisa Thompson, a spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said in a statement.
“This particular bear was likely moving through the area searching for food.”
Thompson said that “in most cases, it is best for bears to be given space and to move along on their own.
“But given this situation, staff have captured the animal and are relocating the bear out of the park to an area in or around the Ocala National Forest.”
Walt Disney World is one of the largest tourist attractions in the world, drawing tens of millions of visitors each year.