Philadelphia Zoo debuts elevated bear trail in new exhibit
IT’S AN ALERT DAY FOR THE THREAT OF STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS. THAT COULD BRING SOME FLASH FLOODING ACROSS THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. WE’LL HAVE THE LATEST HOUR BY HOUR FORECAST IN A FEW MINUTES, THE LAWMAKERS RECALLED. IN HOPES OF PASSING A STATE BUDGET. BREAKING RIGHT NOW THE EFFORT UNDERWAY IN HARRISBURG AND WHAT WE COULD HAVE A DEAL DOES IT. CATS RESCUE FROM A YORK COUNTY HOME. WE TALKED TO THE ORGANIZATION NOW CARING FOR THE ANIMALS ABOUT WHAT THEY SAW INSIDE. YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN THE SIGN. THE FREEDOM FUEL NETWORK GOES LIVE ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA. WHAT THIS MEANS AND IF THE EFFORT IS ACTUALLY SAVING YOU MONEY AT THE PUMP. WGAL NEWS EIGHT STARTS WITH BREAKING NEWS. BREAKING RIGHT NOW, STATE LAWMAKERS ARE ONE STEP CLOSER TO A POSSIBLE BUDGET DEAL. YOU’RE TAKING A LIVE LOOK AT THE STATE CAPITOL, WHERE SENATE LAWMAKERS ARE SET TO RETURN TO HARRISBURG TO WORK ON THE DEAL AND PREPARE FOR A VOTE. NEWS EIGHT POLITICAL REPORTER TOM LEHMAN WILL JOIN US LIVE IN JUST A MOMENT, WALKING US THROUGH WHAT IS SET TO HAPPEN. BUT FIRST, THE OTHER BIG STORY WE’RE FOLLOWING TONIGHT IS THE WEATHER. ON THIS ALERT DAY. TAKING A LIVE LOOK AT STORM TEAM RADAR THERE. THE NETWORK THAT IS YOU CAN SEE THE POTENTIALLY SEVERE STORMS AND STRONG WINDS JUST ROLLING THROUGH AND FLOODING. ALSO A MAJOR CONCERN WITH PARTS OF THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY UNDER FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS. WE WANT TO GET RIGHT ON OVER TO METEOROLOGIST RYAN ARGENTI. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THOSE FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS. I KNOW PEOPLE GOT TO BE CONCERNED. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. YEAH, WE HAVE A FEW OF THEM ALREADY IN EFFECT, THAT WILL BE GOING OVER GOING INTO THE NEXT SEVERAL MINUTES HERE. LET’S GET RIGHT DOWN TO IT. I WANT TO SHOW YOU ON STORM TEAM LIVE RADAR NETWORK, WHERE WE’RE SEEING THOSE FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS AT THIS TIME. SO FAR, FIRST OFF HERE WE’LL COVER. IS THIS ONE IN FOR ADAMS, CUMBERLAND AND YORK COUNTIES. THAT’S GOING ON UNTIL 75615. EXCUSE ME THIS EVENING. 415 FOR LANCASTER, YORK, ALSO INCLUDING ADAMS, YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT LONGER AND SKINNIER FLASH FLOOD WARNING THAT KIND OF GOES ACROSS THE THREE COUNTIES THERE ALSO JUST ANOTHER FLASH FLOOD WARNING JUST TO THE SOUTH OF LANCASTER CITY, GETTING CLOSER TO PARADISE AND STRASBURG. THAT GOES UP UNTIL ABOUT 530 THIS EVENING, BUT ALSO WATCHING A SWATH OF SOME SHOWERS THAT ARE BEGINNING TO CLOSE IN ON FRANKLIN COUNTY AT THIS TIME. WE’RE GOING TO BE SEEING THIS PATTERN JUST LAST THROUGH THE REST OF THIS EVENING. WE DO HAVE A FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE AREA, EXCLUDING MIFFLIN AND COUNTIES, BUT THE REST OF THE AREA UNDER A FLOOD WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. NOW, IN TERMS OF THE THE CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK HERE, THE SPC DAY ONE OUTLOOK, WE ARE IN A LEVEL ONE OUT OF FIVE SEVERE WEATHER RISK. ALTHOUGH YOU CAN SEE OUR FAR SOUTHERN COUNTIES IN THE SOUTHERN TIER OF THE VALLEY IN A LEVEL TWO OUT OF FIVE RISK. BUT THE MAIN THREAT FOR THIS EVENING IS GOING TO BE FLASH FLOODING. AS WE’RE ALREADY SEEING THIS, FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS ACROSS THE AREA. THE DAMAGING WIND RISK IS ON IS ON THE LOWER END STILL GOING TO FACTOR THAT INTO TONIGHT’S POSSIBLE STORMS. BUT WE WILL BE EXTENDING THAT ALERT PERIOD. HOWEVER, UP UNTIL MIDNIGHT TONIGHT FOR THOSE FOR THE CHANCE OF FLASH FLOODING AND RESIDUAL FLOODING HEADING INTO THE EARLY OVERNIGHT PERIOD, WE’LL HAVE MORE ON THAT FULL FORECAST, GUYS COMING UP HERE IN JUST A FEW MORE MINUTES. ALL RIGHT. WE’LL SEE YOU THEN. OF COURSE, THAT FLASH FLOODING A CONCERN. WE WANT TO BRING IN NEWS EIGHT SARAH METTS WHO’S LIVE IN LANCASTER COUNTY. YEAH. SARAH, WE SEE THAT ROAD BLOCKED OFF BEHIND YOU DUE TO THE FLASH FLOODING. WHAT DO WE KNOW SO FAR, MICHAEL? LORI GREENFIELD ROAD IS CURRENTLY CLOSED DOWN AFTER THIS AFTERNOON’S RAIN. CREWS WERE JUST CALLED TO THIS AREA FOR A WATER RESCUE. A CAR GOT STUCK UNDER THE UNDERPASS. LAFAYETTE FIRE COMPANY SAYS THIS BLACK SEDAN DROVE INTO THE HIGH WATERS UNDER AND INTO THE HIGH WATERS UNDER THE UNDERPASS, AND GOT STUCK RIGHT AS WE ARRIVED, CREWS WERE TOWING THE CARS AWAY, SAYING NO ONE WAS INJURED IN THIS INCIDENT. NOW, IT IS A GOOD REMINDER, THOUGH, FOR ALL DRIVERS DO NOT DROWN. TURN AROUND AND I ACTUALLY HAVE SOME LIVE EXAMPLES OF THAT. IF YOU WANT TO SHOW THAT OVER THERE. I’M TALKING TO MY PHOTOGRAPHER. SO CREWS ARE SAYING THIS ROAD IS CLOSED DUE TO THE HIGH WATERS UNDER THE UNDERPASS. THEY ARE TELLING CARS NOT TO DO WHAT YOU’RE SEEING ON YOUR SCREEN RIGHT NOW. DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH THOSE WATERS. THEY ACTUALLY HAVE BARRICADES UP. THEY TELL US THAT THESE BARRICADES ARE UP FOR A REASON. THEY WANT YOU TO NOT TURN GO AROUND THEM AGAIN. ANOTHER GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHAT NOT TO DO ON LIVE TV. DO NOT GO AROUND THE BARRICADES. THEY SAY THAT THEY ARE UP FOR A REASON. ANOTHER REMINDER THAT I WANT TO GIVE YOU, JUST AS WE’RE OUT HERE AND WE’RE LOOKING AROUND. SO THIS STORM DRAIN, AS YOU CAN SEE, HAS SOME DEBRIS ON TOP OF IT. IF YOU LOOK DOWN THE ROAD THIS WAY, YOU CAN SEE PONDING ALSO ON THE ROAD. THIS IS LIKELY CAUSED OR DUE TO SOME STORM DRAINS THAT HAVE DEBRIS COVERING THEM. SO IF YOU SEE STORM DRAINS WITH DEBRIS ON THEM, A GOOD REMINDER TO JUST REMOVE THAT SO YOU DON’T EXPERIENCE ANY MORE PONDING. IF YOU GET ANY MORE RAIN IN LANCASTER COUNTY. SARAH METTS WGAL NEWS EIGHT. WE’RE BACK TO THAT BREAKING NEWS OUT OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA LAWMAKERS APPEAR TO BE NEARING A BUDGET DEAL. EIGHT ON YOUR SIDE POLITICAL REPORTER TOM LEHMAN JOINS US NOW FROM THE STATE CAPITOL IN HARRISBURG ON WHAT WE’RE LEARNING ABOUT THIS TONIGHT. TOM. ACTUALLY RELOCATING TO HARRISBURG NEWSROOM BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER. I MEAN, IT REALLY IS RAINING RIGHT NOW HERE IN HARRISBURG, BUT WE ARE ABLE TO TELL YOU THAT ONE OF THE BIG SIGNS, A BUDGET DEAL IS NEAR HAS COME TO FRUITION AT THIS POINT. LAWMAKERS GETTING THE NOTICE THAT THEY’RE GOING TO BE RECALLED TO THE STATE CAPITOL. WORDS STARTING TO GO OUT LAST NIGHT. AND IT APPEARS THAT WE ARE IN FOR A WEEKEND SESSION TO FINISH OUT THE BUDGET. SENATE LAWMAKERS COMING BACK. FIRST, THEY’RE GOING TO BE MEETING TOMORROW IN COMMITTEES LATE IN THE DAY AND ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE A VOTING SESSION SATURDAY AND REMAIN IN SESSION SUNDAY. THE HOUSE IS SCHEDULED TO HAVE ITS OWN COMMITTEE MEETINGS ON SATURDAY, AND THEN HOLD A VOTING SESSION ON SUNDAY. NOW, AFTER LAST YEAR’S FOR MONTHLY BUDGET, LAWMAKERS ARE PLEASED TO SEE THINGS THAT ARE MOVING FORWARD FASTER THAN LAST TIME WHEN IT COMES TO THIS YEAR’S SPENDING PLAN FOR DISTRICTS LIKE MINE AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS LIKE MINE, IT’S ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL IN MANY ARE STILL SORT OF RECUPERATING FROM LAST YEAR’S IMPASSE, AND A LOT OF NONPROFITS AS WELL THAT PROVIDE ESSENTIAL SERVICES FOR THE COMMUNITY. SO WE NEEDED TO PASS A BUDGET AS CLOSE TO ON TIME AS POSSIBLE. AND I’M GLAD THAT WE’RE GETTING THERE. THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING, ONE OF THOSE KEY ISSUES THAT HAS BEEN A LITTLE BIT ELUSIVE AT TIMES IN TERMS OF FINDING AGREEMENT BETWEEN LAWMAKERS FOR THIS YEAR’S BUDGET. WE’RE GOING TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE KEY ISSUES COMING UP AT 5:00. BUT FOR NOW, HERE IN HARRISBURG NEWSROOM TOM LEHMAN NEWS EIGHT. IT’S YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE. TIMES UP BY TEN. THAT’S WHAT IT’S LIKE. YOU CAN’T DESCRIBE IT. I CAN’T DESCRIBE IT TO YOU. YOU CAN SMELL IT. I CAN’T EXPLAIN. AND THAT’S WHAT ONE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY ANIMAL RESCUE DESCRIBED AFTER STEPPING IN TO REMOVE DOZENS OF CATS FROM A HOARDING SITUATION IN YORK COUNTY. NEWS EIGHT’S MARCY WALSH IS LIVE IN GLEN ROCK. MARCY, YOU SAW SOME OF THE EFFORTS TO REMOVE THOSE CATS FROM THAT HOME. WHAT ARE THEY TELLING YOU, LORI? VOLUNTEERS FROM CASTAWAY CRITTERS ARE DONNING HAZMAT SUITS AND RESPIRATORS TO GO INSIDE THIS HOME. THE MANAGER OF THE RESCUE TELLING ME THESE ARE SOME OF THE WORST CONDITIONS SHE’S EVER SEEN. IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR SCREEN, YOU CAN SEE THE FACES OF CATS PEEKING THROUGH THE WINDOWS OF THIS GLEN ROCK HOME. CASTAWAY CRITTER SAYS THEY WERE MADE AWARE OF THIS CASE BY A POST ONLINE, AND THAT’S WHEN THEY STEPPED IN TO HELP. THEY HAVE ALREADY TAKEN SEVERAL CATS AND KITTENS OUT OF THE HOME YESTERDAY, COMING BACK TODAY TO GET AS MANY AS THEY CAN, ESTIMATING THERE ARE AT LEAST 13 LEFT, VARYING IN AGE FROM AS YOUNG AS 1 OR 2 DAYS OLD TO AS OLD AS TEN YEARS OLD. THEY SAY THE HOME IS COVERED IN FECES AND DEBRIS, AND IT MIGHT TAKE SEVERAL TRIPS TO GET ALL THE ANIMALS OUT. IF YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THAT YOU’RE IN A HOUSE, IT SMELLS TERRIBLE. YOU ARE GAS MASKED UP. LIKE YOU KNOW, THERE’S NO LIGHTS AND YOU’RE DOWN THERE DIGGING FOR DAY OLD BABIES. I DON’T KNOW WHAT THEIR LONG TERM PLAN IS, BUT WE’RE GOING TO GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO HAVE A REWRITTEN ENDING BECAUSE THAT’S THAT’S OUR MOTTO. AND THE CATS INSIDE ARE IN VARYING STATES, SOME NEEDING PRETTY EXTENSIVE MEDICAL TREATMENT. CASTAWAY CRITTER SAYS THESE CATS HAVE NOT SEEN ANY PEOPLE IN MONTHS AND ARE FERAL. VOLUNTEERS ARE STILL WORKING NOW TO GET THOSE CATS OUT OF THE HOME, AND IT STILL MIGHT TAKE MORE TRIPS THAN THIS. COMING UP ON NEWS EIGHT AT FIVE, WE’LL HEAR FROM A NEIGHBOR WHO ACTUALLY SOUNDED THE ALARM ON
Philadelphia Zoo debuts elevated bear trail in new exhibit
Updated: 4:49 PM EDT Jul 9, 2026
The Philadelphia Zoo has opened a new elevated trail for bears, giving visitors a chance to see the animals from above. You can view News 8 headlines in the video player above. The “Gould and Potter Crossing” is now open, part of the $25 million Francis J. Carey Bear Country exhibit, featuring a 60-foot-long trail that is 16 feet above the ground. The addition of Gould & Potter Crossing allows the bears to explore the Zoo360 trail system for the first time since the trails debuted in 2011.The Carey Bear Country enhance the Zoo’s animal care program, but it also creates a dynamic, memorable and educational experience for guests of all ages and backgrounds.Now home to Andean and sloth bears, Carey Bear Country supports the Zoo’s conservation programs to protect these species in zoos and in the wild.Carey Bear CountryCarey Bear Country opens for first looks to general Zoo admission guests starting Thursday, June 4 at 11:30 a.m. Carey Bear Country will then be open daily from 9:30 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. starting Friday, June 5.Carey Bear Country is included in Zoo membership and general admission tickets. Throughout the exhibit, there will be new ways for guests to get closer than ever before to the Zoo’s bears with cave-like glass viewing areas.Interactive, educational signage throughout the space will tell the stories of these two species, the threats they face in the wild, and how the Zoo is making a difference in their conservation.
The Philadelphia Zoo has opened a new elevated trail for bears, giving visitors a chance to see the animals from above.
You can view News 8 headlines in the video player above.
The “Gould and Potter Crossing” is now open, part of the $25 million Francis J. Carey Bear Country exhibit, featuring a 60-foot-long trail that is 16 feet above the ground.
The addition of Gould & Potter Crossing allows the bears to explore the Zoo360 trail system for the first time since the trails debuted in 2011.
The Carey Bear Country enhance the Zoo’s animal care program, but it also creates a dynamic, memorable and educational experience for guests of all ages and backgrounds.
Now home to Andean and sloth bears, Carey Bear Country supports the Zoo’s conservation programs to protect these species in zoos and in the wild.
Carey Bear Country
Carey Bear Country opens for first looks to general Zoo admission guests starting Thursday, June 4 at 11:30 a.m. Carey Bear Country will then be open daily from 9:30 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. starting Friday, June 5.
Carey Bear Country is included in Zoo membership and general admission tickets. Throughout the exhibit, there will be new ways for guests to get closer than ever before to the Zoo’s bears with cave-like glass viewing areas.
Interactive, educational signage throughout the space will tell the stories of these two species, the threats they face in the wild, and how the Zoo is making a difference in their conservation.