In September 2023, Disney World had an unexpected visitor in one of its parks.
Cinderella Castle
Parkgoers showed up to Magic Kingdom one morning to find several locations of the park still roped off and Cast Members standing guard. Turns out it was for a VERY good reason as a bear had found its way into the park. Now, a new video has been released of the moment when the bear was finally caught.
On September 18th, 2023 a black bear was spotted inside the Magic Kingdom. Being on the railroad tracks a Disney employee stated, “terrifies us because that gives it access to the entire park. So we hazed it.” After Cast Members used air horns, paintball guns, and slingshots, they were able to herd the bear back toward the village on Tom Sawyer Island.
Tom Sawyer Island
According to ClickOrlando, the bear went up a tree where it stayed until the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was able to use a tranquilizer dart gun to get the bear out of it.
A Disney employee said that the company has a state permit that allows it to trap bears and that Cast Members receive routine training from FWC on how to chase bears away from populated areas.
Map of Tom Sawyer Island
Throughout the event, several people commented on the unusual location of the bear. “I think he wants to see the Country Bear Jamboree,” quipped one state officer. Another FWC replied, “No ticket, no entry. You don’t get free rides.” But after all the fun and games, the bear was eventually safely asleep so Disney and FWC were able to catch it and relocate it to the Ocala State Forest.
You can watch the video to learn more about the situation below.
Hopefully, our friend the black bear stays home in the forest from now on. We much prefer the animatronics and Country Bears inside the Disney parks.
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