by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 8:55 AM ET, Tue September 19, 2023
A real black bear entered Walt Disney World on Monday, prompting the park to temporarily close a good portion of Magic Kingdom, including Frontierland, Liberty Square and Adventureland, as local law enforcement and biologists from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) relocated the bear.
According to The Washington Post, the bear was first spotted in a tree near Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. It prompted the closure of at least ten attractions in the morning as officials worked to capture and relocate the bear. It was around 2:45 p.m. when the FWC had issued the all-clear. No one was reported injured during the event.
According to the Commission, they planned to relocate the bear to the Ocala National Forest, a 673-square-mile protected forest area just north of the city of Orlando.
“During the fall, bears are more active as they search for food to pack on fat reserves for the winter,” the FWC said in a statement. “This particular bear was likely moving through the area searching for food.”
Black bears are native to Florida and the Orlando region. As development continues and more native habitat is destroyed, these sightings will become even more common. According to the FWC, there are an estimated 1,200 black bears living in Central Florida.
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