Two Young Bears Escape Enclosure, Head Straight for Staff Kitchen in Search of Food

Two Young Bears Escape Enclosure, Head Straight for Staff Kitchen in Search of Food

A routine afternoon at Wildwood Devon in southwestern England took an unexpected turn in June 2025 when two young European brown bears escaped from their enclosure and embarked on an unusual food hunt.

The bears, Mish and Lucy, both around four years old, reportedly slipped out through a back door that had accidentally been left open while staff were working nearby with vehicles.

Rather than moving towards areas occupied by visitors, the bears headed directly to the staff kitchen, apparently following their powerful sense of smell. Their timing was particularly fortunate for them: a fresh delivery of fruits and vegetables had arrived only about an hour earlier.

The hungry pair reportedly devoured the entire delivery, including bananas, apples and other fresh produce intended to last the park’s staff for several days.

They then discovered an even sweeter treat — jars of honey kept in the food-preparation area used for the bears’ meals. According to the park, Mish and Lucy consumed approximately a week’s supply of honey.

Despite the bears remaining calm and avoiding public areas, park officials immediately treated the escape as a serious safety incident. Visitors were evacuated to a secure building, while police, including an armed firearms unit, responded to the scene as a precaution.

Park director Mark Habben said there was no serious concern that the bears would need to be killed, as they remained settled throughout the incident.

After about an hour of uninterrupted eating, the two bears appeared to run out of energy. Keepers eventually discovered them asleep in the food-storage area, apparently exhausted after their unexpected feast.

When Mish woke up, the approximately 400-pound bear reportedly made his way back into the enclosure on his own. Lucy followed shortly afterwards and was guided back using recall training, without the need for physical intervention.

Wildwood Devon described the escape as an “operational error” and launched an internal investigation to establish how the door had been left accessible.

For Mish and Lucy, however, the brief adventure ended without injury — and with what may have been the most memorable meal of their young lives.

Two Young Bears Escape Enclosure, Head Straight for Staff Kitchen in Search of Food