Unexpected Visitor: Wild Black Bear Sneaks Into Zoo, Says Hello to Residents

Visitors at 🏛️Sequoia Park Zoo in Eureka, California, got an unusual surprise when a wild American 🐻Black bear decided to take itself on a private tour of the zoo grounds.

According to People, in a post shared on Instagram Friday, Oct. 17, the zoo said its staff discovered the unexpected guest while conducting a daily inspection of the Redwood Sky Walk.

According to the zoo, the bear “did not appear aggressive” and was even spotted “interacting” with the zoo’s resident black bears — Tule, Ishŭng, and Nabu — through their habitat fencing.

A photo posted by the zoo shows the curious visitor leaning over a railing to watch the resident bears, while another image captures the bear strolling calmly near a forested area within the zoo.

“Overall, he was a very polite visitor,” the zoo joked. “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. 😅)”

Once the bear was spotted, the zoo said “emergency procedures were implemented,” with assistance from the Eureka Police Department and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.