7 hours ago
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If you went down to the woods in Devon on Monday, you were sure for a big surprise. Two European brown bears escaped from their enclosure at a wildlife park – and went straight for a picnic, consuming a week’s worth of honey from the attraction’s food stores.
Mish and Lucy, both five years old, enjoyed a selection of snacks before being safely returned to their enclosure by the keeper team at Wildwood Devon, near Ottery St Mary.
The park insisted there was no danger to any member of the public at any point, but as a precaution all visitors were escorted to a secure building.
“The bears were continuously monitored both on the ground and via CCTV until they calmly returned to their enclosure and fell asleep,” it said. “In line with standard protocol, police attended the scene, and an investigation is now under way to determine how the incident occurred.
“The exhibit is secure, and we are grateful to our staff and visitors for their cooperation, which helped us resolve the situation swiftly and safely.”
Mish eventually made his own way back to the enclosure and Lucy was lured back with a bell and her favourite foods.
A male European brown bear weighs on average between 350kg and 500kg (770lb-1,100lb) and reaches a maximum weight of 650kg, while females typically range between 150kg and 300kg.
Mish and Lucy were rescued from a snow drift in Albania in 2019.
