UPDATED with details of capture: Look for the bear necessities, the simple bear necessities — like shutting down rides and attractions at Walt Disney World when there’s an ursine interloper in the park.
That’s what happened this morning at the Orlando resort as a bear was spotted near Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Frontierland shortly after the park opened, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Officials from that office were later able to capture and relocate the bear, who likely was trolling for food ahead of its winter hibernation. Bears gonna bear.
Orlando NBC station WESH2 published video showing officials carrying “a large black figure in a white tarp.” The station – and the rest of us – later confirmed with Fish & Wildlife that the bear was, indeed, captured.
Disney had already returned to business as usual.
“We are working with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission and have made the decision to reopen Frontierland, Liberty Square and Adventureland at Magic Kingdom Park,” Disney World said in a statement.
Fish & Wildlife has not posted an update to its social media accounts, but it did share this information three days ago: “Florida’s black bears are joining in on the annual fall feast-a-thon in their bid to bulk up for the winter too. Black bears eat up to 20,000 calories a day in the fall (same, bears, same), so they’ll be on the move looking for good eats wherever they can find it!”
The animal kingdom visitor to the Magic Kingdom shuttered several rides and attractions — the Country Bear Jamboree and Jungle Cruise among them, naturally.
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Also closed down at some point, according to the My Disney Experience app, were Big Thunder Mountain, Hall of Presidents, Haunted Mansion, Magic Carpets of Aladdin, Pirates of the Caribbean, Swiss Family Tree House, Tom Sawyer Island, Under the Sea – Journey of The Little Mermaid, Walt Disney World Railroad, Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room and portions of the Walt Disney World Railroad.
There has been no official word update on the bear’s status yet or when the remaining closed attractions would reopen. Till then, parkgoers can forget about your worry and your strife.