Wild Black Bear Climbs into California Zoo and Interacts with Zoo’s Captive Bears

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Sequoia Park Zoo said on Friday, Oct. 17, that its staff found a “wild American black bear” roaming the grounds of its Redwood Sky WalkThe zoo said the bear was seen “interacting” with the Sequoia Park Zoo’s resident black bears, Tule, Ishŭng, and Nabu, through their habitat fencingSequoia Park Zoo director Jim Campbell-Spickler guessed that the black bear was 1.5 years old and weighed around 150 lbs. and noted that he was “curious”

A California zoo had an unexpected visitor show up for a private tour.

Sequoia Park Zoo, located in Eureka, Calif., shared on Instagram on Friday, Oct. 17, that its staff, who had been conducting a daily inspection on the Redwood Sky Walk, found a “wild American black bear” within the zoo’s facility.  

The zoo noted that the bear “did not appear aggressive” and was even seen “interacting” with the Sequoia Park Zoo’s resident black bears — Tule, Ishŭng, and Nabu — through their habitat fencing. 

A photo shared by the zoo shows the wild black bear leaning over a railing at a viewpoint to observe his fellow black bears. A second snap shows the wild bear walking around the zoo grounds near a forest area. 

“Overall, he was a very polite visitor,” the zoo joked on Instagram. “He stayed on the boardwalk path, kept two feet on the ground, and didn’t try to climb over the railings! (But seriously. When we say, ‘wildlife welcome,’ this isn’t exactly what we have in mind. 😅)”

The zoo said that “emergency procedures were implemented” as soon as staff members spotted the bear, and the park “deployed a rapid response” with the assistance of the Eureka Police Department and California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Wild black bear at the Sequoia Park Zoo in California.

Sequoia Park Zoo/Instagram

After a “brief exploration of the enrichment items around the night house,” the bear was eventually “safely coaxed back into the woods through a service gate,” the zoo said about how the agencies handled the furry trespasser.

“This was an exemplary execution of our emergency systems, which resulted in the best outcome for everyone involved – including the bear!” the zoo added in its statement.

PEOPLE has reached out to Sequoia Park Zoo for comment on the incident.

The Sequoia Park Zoo director, Jim Campbell-Spickler, told the San Francisco Chronicle that the black bear “was able to get in by climbing a tree but was not able to get out” until staff opened a service gate leading back into the woods. He also noted that the bear explored some “enrichment items,” toys provided to the animals by the zoo.

A wild black bear.

Getty

Campbell-Spickler guessed that the bear zoo visitor was 1.5 years old and weighed around 150 lbs. He described the animal to the SF Chronicle as not “aggressive” in “any way,” adding, “He was just a curious guy.”

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The zoo said in its statement on Instagram that its “perimeter fencing,” which separates the zoo from Sequoia Park, is still “intact and secure.” 

It also noted that the park was home to “wild bears and other animals” and reminded its guests to observe “wildlife from a distance,” stay on marked trails, and always be aware of their surroundings.