Two bears ESCAPE at UK zoo with visitors locked down and cops scrambled as bosses probe how they got out
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TWO escaped bears channelled Winnie-the-Pooh — and made a beeline for the zoo's honey store.
Mish and Lucy, both 5ft and 30st, were caught on CCTV nosing through supplies before guzzling a week's worth of the sweet sticky treat.
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Two bears escaped from their enclosure and guzzled a week's worth of honey
Credit: Supplied
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The incident was caught on CCTV at Wildwood Devon, in Escot Park, near Exeter
Credit: Supplied
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The zoo had just had a huge food delivery an hour before
Credit: Supplied
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Mish and Lucy wandered back to their enclosure for a nap after the feast
Credit: Neil Hope
Visitors were ushered into secure buildings and the satisfied five-year-olds wandered back to their £100,000 enclosure for a nap.
Mark Habben, director of zoo operations at Wildwood Devon, in Escot Park, near Exeter, told The Sun: 'We'd had a huge food delivery an hour before.
'It was still in boxes and they made their way straight to it.
'They tore into containers and also smashed a jar of peanut butter.'
Police headed to the scene while staff monitored the European brown bears but a zoo spokeswoman added: 'Mish and Lucy posed no threat.
'They enjoyed a selection of snacks — including the honey — before being safely returned to their enclosure by the keeper team within the hour.
'Then they fell asleep.'
Police confirmed: 'Specialist officers attended and visitors taken to places of safety.'
The siblings arrived at the zoo in 2022 after they were found as cubs in 2019, abandoned by their mother in the mountains of Albania.
It was deemed too dangerous for them to be returned and they were kept briefly in Belgium.
I work at London Zoo and my day even includes making Tea for the animals
Wildwood said at the time it wanted an enclosure that was as natural as possible and launched an appeal for funds.
The pair soon settled in and became firm favourites with its visitors.
Mr Habben said: 'We are investigating how they got out — but we suspect they've gone through an unlocked gate.
'We've managed bears for 21 years and never had an incident like this.
'Mish and Lucy are going to be on a restricted diet.
'It's only the bear necessities from now on.'
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The siblings arrived at the zoo in 2022 after they were found as cubs in 2019 in Albania
Credit: Cover Images
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