Latest news with #MishAndLucy
The Sun
24-06-2025
- General
- The Sun
Two bears ESCAPE at UK zoo with visitors locked down and cops scrambled as bosses probe how they got out
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. 5 5 5 5 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.' 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.' 5
The Independent
24-06-2025
- General
- The Independent
Bears escape enclosure at UK wildlife park and eat week's worth of honey
Two young bears at a wildlife park made a beeline for a week's supply of honey after staging an escape from their enclosure. Mish and Lucy, both four-year-old siblings, seized their moment of freedom at the Wildwood Trust's site in Ottery St Mary in Devon on Monday afternoon. The pair reportedly headed straight for their food store during their hour-long adventure. Despite their brief escapade, Wildwood Devon confirmed that the bears posed no danger to the public at any point. A spokesperson for Wildwood Trust shared: 'Two young bears escaped from their enclosure at Wildwood Devon this afternoon, heading straight for their food store. 'Mish and Lucy, both four years, who posed no threat to the public at any point, enjoyed a selection of snacks – including a week's worth of honey – before being safely returned to their enclosure by the expert keeper team within the hour. 'As a precaution, all visitors on site were promptly escorted to a secure building. 'The bears were continuously monitored both on the ground and via CCTV until they calmly returned to their enclosure and fell asleep.' The charity said police attended the scene 'in line with standard protocol' and an investigation is underway to find out how the bears escaped. 'The exhibit is secure, and we are grateful to our staff and visitors for their cooperation, which helped us resolve the situation swiftly and safely,' the spokesperson added. Mish and Lucy were discovered abandoned by their mother in a snowdrift in the Albanian mountains, according to the Wildwood Trust. Several attempts were made to reintroduce the cubs into the wild but it became clear to conservationists that they could not survive on their own. Following a fundraising campaign in 2020, the siblings were transported to Wildwood's Kent park for six months before they made their 'forever home' at the Devon site in 2021. Mish is known to be a playful bear who enjoys splashing around in the pool and swinging in hammocks while Lucy is said to 'love nothing more' than spending time with her brother and climbing trees. The pair eat kilos of berries, fruits, vegetables, seeds, fish and meat every day.
Times
24-06-2025
- General
- Times
Bears scoff week's worth of honey after escape from wildlife park
Two bears at a wildlife park had a Winnie-the-Pooh moment when they escaped their enclosure and scoffed a week's worth of honey. The wanderings of Mish and Lucy, both five-year-old orphaned European brown bears, on Monday afternoon prompted Wildwood Devon visitors to be evacuated from the park and moved to a secure building. The two bears were returned to their 1.5-acre enclosure 'within the hour' with the help of trained firearms staff and specialist police officers. The pair were rescued as cubs in 2019 after being abandoned by their mother WILDWOOD TRUST/PA Wildwood Devon insisted the pair posed 'no threat to the public at any point' and that their exhibit was 'secure'. An investigation is under way to determine how the bears managed to escape. The bears, siblings who were rescued in 2019 from a snowdrift in the Albanian mountains after being abandoned by their mother, left their enclosure at the park in Escot Park, near Ottery St Mary, and headed straight for their food store.
Sky News
24-06-2025
- General
- Sky News
Police called as two young bears escape from wildlife enclosure in Devon
Two young bears escaped from their enclosure at a wildlife park in Devon - and devoured a week's worth of honey. In a tale straight out of Winnie The Pooh, Mish and Lucy immediately dashed for the food store during their hour of freedom at the Wildwood Trust site. Visitors were "promptly escorted to a secure building" - but a spokesperson confirmed the peckish pair were not a danger to the public at any point. "The bears were continuously monitored both on the ground and via CCTV until they calmly returned to their enclosure and fell asleep," the statement added. Police attended the scene "in line with standard protocol" - and an investigation has been launched into how the four-year-olds managed to escape in the first place. "The exhibit is secure, and we are grateful to our staff and visitors for their cooperation, which helped us resolve the situation swiftly and safely," the Wildwood Trust said. Mish and Lucy were abandoned by their mother in a snowdrift in the Albanian mountains. While several efforts were made to reintroduce them to the wild, conservationists soon concluded they could not survive on their own. A fundraising campaign meant the siblings could be transported to Wildwood's Kent park in 2020 - and after six months, they settled into their "forever home" in Devon. Mish is a playful bear who enjoys splashing around in pools and swinging in hammocks, while Lucy "loves nothing more" than spending time with her brother and climbing trees. They feast on kilos of berries, fruits, vegetables, seeds, fish and meat every day. And honey… apparently.
Sky News
24-06-2025
- General
- Sky News
Two young bears escape from enclosure in Devon... and devour a week's worth of honey
Two young bears escaped from their enclosure at a wildlife park in Devon - and devoured a week's worth of honey. In a tale straight out of Winnie The Pooh, Mish and Lucy immediately dashed for the food store during their hour of freedom at the Wildwood Trust site. Visitors were "promptly escorted to a secure building" - but a spokesperson confirmed the peckish pair were not a danger to the public at any point. "The bears were continuously monitored both on the ground and via CCTV until they calmly returned to their enclosure and fell asleep," the statement added. Police attended the scene "in line with standard protocol" - and an investigation has been launched into how the four-year-olds managed to escape in the first place. "The exhibit is secure, and we are grateful to our staff and visitors for their cooperation, which helped us resolve the situation swiftly and safely," the Wildwood Trust said. Mish and Lucy were abandoned by their mother in a snowdrift in the Albanian mountains. While several efforts were made to reintroduce them to the wild, conservationists soon concluded they could not survive on their own. A fundraising campaign meant the siblings could be transported to Wildwood's Kent park in 2020 - and after six months, they settled into their "forever home" in Devon. Mish is a playful bear who enjoys splashing around in pools and swinging in hammocks, while Lucy "loves nothing more" than spending time with her brother and climbing trees. They feast on kilos of berries, fruits, vegetables, seeds, fish and meat every day. And honey… apparently.
