Wildlife officials have captured a black bear that was spotted on Monday at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida.
"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," the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission told ABC News in a statement on Monday.
The agency said the adult, female black bear was likely searching for food in the park.
The surprise sighting of a bear in the land of Mickey Mouse temporarily closed attractions including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Hall of Presidents, Liberty Square Riverboat, A Pirate’s Adventure, Tom Sawyer Island, Walt Disney World Railroad including Fantasyland, Frontierland and Main Street.
The bear was reportedly spotted in a tree near Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, prompting Disney employees to stand at locations in the park including Liberty Square and Adventureland to prevent guests from coming into contact with it, Fox Business Network reported.
The are an estimated 4,000 black bears in Florida, the only bear species in the state, according to the FWC.
"The FWC reminds people that if you see a bear, to give it space and never approach or feed it,” the agency added in its Monday statement. "Contact the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922) if you feel threatened by a bear; observe a sick, injured, dead or orphaned bear; or to report someone who is either harming bears or intentionally feeding them."
A bear sighting temporarily shut down attractions at Walt Disney World in Florida on Monday— (REUTERS)
The agency said on its websites that human development means more interactions between bears and people are to come.
"Urban sprawl is encroaching on traditionally remote areas, bringing people into prime bear habitat," the FWC said. "As a result, bears and people are encountering each other more than ever."
The bear spotting isn’t the first time an animal has disrupted normal operations at the Florida theme park.
In July, a squirrel was seen running around the Magic Kingdom’s Carousel of Progress attraction, a theatre show about developments in technology.
