A young American black bear’s journey to find friends led it to break into a California zoo to socialize with the residents.
The bear entered the Sequoia Park Zoo in yet-to-be-determined way on Friday, before making its way to the habitat of the three resident black bears, named Tule, Ishung and Kunabulilh, officials wrote in a Facebook post.
“He was really, really interested in our three bears, and he introduced himself to all of them through the fence,” Jim Campbell-Spickler, the zoo’s director, told SFGATE about their guest.
“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,” Campbell-Spickler added.
Staff said they noticed the unexpected visitor during a routine inspection.
A wild black bear somehow got into Sequoia Park Zoo last week and greeted the three resident black bears (Sequoia Park Zoo)
The wild bear, who is estimated to be about a year-and-a-half old and whose sex remains unknown, appeared to fit right in, exploring enrichment toys and interacting with the resident bears, while staying away from other animals.
After wandering through the zoo grounds, the bear was gently encouraged by staff, aided by officers from the Eureka Police Department and a warden from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, to leave.
It successfully exited through a perimeter gate into the adjacent 67-acre Sequoia Park after about 20 minutes.
The zoo, home to more than 150 animals, said it regularly experiences visits from wild animals such as skunks, raccoons and foxes, but this marks the first time a bear has made an unscheduled visit.
“We do not know how the bear got in,” Campbell-Spickler told SFGATE. “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.”
“Overall, he was a very polite visitor,” zoo staff added in the Facebook post.
Staff also took this humorous incident as a reminder to visitors to observe wildlife safely and stay on marked trails.
