Mish and Lucy, 5-year-old siblings, escaped their enclosure at a wildlife sanctuary in Devon, England, leading to a brief incident where only honey was in danger.
The bears, known for their friendly and easygoing nature, typically spend this time of year in their enclosure enjoying fruits, nuts, and honey. However, on Monday, they broke free from their living quarters and accessed a stockpile of fresh food.
In a scene reminiscent of “Winnie the Pooh,” the bears consumed a week’s worth of honey in approximately one hour. Surveillance footage captured Lucy breaking into a food container.
Mark Habben, the director of zoological operations at Wildwood Trust, which manages the sanctuary, received a “code red” alert while he was at the organization’s other location in Kent, about four hours away. Initially suspecting it might be a drill, he soon realized the situation was serious and enacted emergency protocols, ensuring the safety of 16 guests by moving them into a play barn and contacting the police. He confirmed that none of the visitors were at risk and that the bears were not in a public area.
Mish was the first bear to reach the food area, which included honey and peanut butter used as rewards. After nearly an hour of indulging, Mish returned to his enclosure, while sanctuary workers coaxed Lucy back by ringing a bell, concluding their brief adventure.
Both bears were rescued as cubs from Albania, where they were abandoned by their mother. The Romanian chapter of the World Wide Fund for Nature attempted to release them back into the wild, but they had become too accustomed to human interaction. Consequently, they were taken in by Wildwood Trust four years ago, an organization focused on restoring the balance between people and wildlife.
Mish and Lucy are European brown bears, a species native to large areas of northern Europe, including Albania, Romania, and parts of Germany. Although brown bears once roamed the wild in Britain, they have been absent for over 1,000 years. Romania currently hosts the largest population of European brown bears in Europe, with estimates around 13,000, although this number is disputed by some conservation groups.
Now safely back in their enclosure, Mish and Lucy have returned to their usual routine, spending considerable time around the animal keeper team and showing interest in their activities.