BAY LAKE, Fla. — Reports of a bear on the loose prompted the closure of several rides at Walt Disney World on Monday morning.
No, one of the animatronic Country Bears didn’t escape the attraction after it was announced that the show was being updated. It also wasn’t Baloo the bear or Winnie the Pooh.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said there were reports that a black bear was in a tree in the Magic Kingdom.
“Biologists with the FWC’s Bear Management Program as well as FWC law enforcement officers are on scene,” a commission spokesperson told WFTV. “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.”
An agency spokesperson told our sister station that bears are active in the fall as they look for food before winter.
“This particular bear was likely moving through the area searching for food,” the spokesperson said.
The Walt Disney World App showed more than a dozen rides and attractions closed on Monday morning, WFTV reported.
A Disney spokesperson confirmed that there was a sighting, telling WFTV, “We are working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and have made the decision to reopen Frontierland, Liberty Square and Adventureland at Magic Kingdom Park. As shared by the FWC, staff are on site and working on capturing and relocating the bear.”
The bear was captured and was going to be relocated to Ocala National Forest, WFTV reported.
