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BAY LAKE, Fla. — A bear sighting at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Park on Monday prompted the closure of several of the park’s rides and attractions, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conversation Commission said.
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FWC said an adult female black bear was spotted in a tree at Magic Kingdom on Monday morning.
“Biologists with the FWC’s Bear Management Program as well as FWC law enforcement officers have safely captured the adult female bear,” an FWC spokeswoman said. “In most cases, it is best for bears to be given space and to move along on their own, but given this situation, staff have captured the animal and are relocating the bear out of the park to an area in or around the Ocala National Forest.”
The agency said that bears are more active during the fall as they search for food to pack on fat reserves for the winter.
Read: Off-duty Seminole County deputy shot mother bear that was later euthanized
“This particular bear was likely moving through the area searching for food,” the spokeswoman said.
More than a dozen rides and attractions were closed Monday during the sighting, according to Disney’s app.
A company spokesman said the park has since fully reopened.
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“We are working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and have made the decision to reopen Frontierland, Liberty Square and Adventureland at Magic Kingdom Park,” the spokesman said.
FWC said if you see a bear in the wild, give it space and never approach or feed it.
If you ever spot one that is threatening, sick or injured, you can call FWC at 888-404-3922.
Read: Seminole County man injured from fall after bear attacks dog
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