In a bold escapade straight out of a cartoon, two young European brown bears named Mish and Lucy briefly escaped their enclosure at Wildwood Devon wildlife park in southwest England, leading to a park evacuation and ending with the siblings found fast asleep after gorging on their favorite treats – especially honey.
The incident unfolded on a Monday afternoon, prompting an immediate “code red” alert and a precautionary evacuation of the park. Visitors were safely secured in a designated building while staff and local authorities, including a police firearms unit, responded.
The Great Escape
According to park officials, the four and five-year-old siblings didn’t breach their enclosure by force. Instead, their temporary freedom came via an operational error: a back door to their enclosure area was inadvertently left open by staff working with vehicles nearby. The bears remained solely within the staff-only zones of the park, posing no threat to the public at any point.
Utilizing their incredible sense of smell, estimated to be 2,000 times more sensitive than a human’s, Mish and Lucy went exploring. Their destination of choice? The park’s kitchen and food store, where meals and enrichment items are prepared and kept.
An Epic Sweet Haul
The opportunistic pair discovered a bonanza of fresh food that had just arrived. They devoured an entire delivery of fruits and vegetables, including bananas and apples, that were meant to last for days. But the true prize was the honey. The bears located jars of the sweet, sticky treat and proceeded to consume what staff estimated to be a week’s worth of their honey supply.
Park Director of Zoological Operations, Mark Habben, noted the bears were simply following their instincts for their favorite food items. After their incredible feast, the happy bears were found right next to their bounty – fast asleep in the honey store.
Safe Return and Investigation
The entire episode, from escape to safe return, lasted approximately 55 minutes to an hour. Despite the presence of a firearms team, there was never any intention to harm the bears as they remained calm throughout. Mish, the slightly larger male weighing around 400 pounds, reportedly walked back into the enclosure on his own. Lucy, weighing about 300 pounds, was successfully lured back inside using a bell, a sound they are trained to follow, and some of her favorite foods.
Wildwood Devon has launched a full investigation into the operational error that allowed the escape. The park confirmed that the exhibit is now secure and thanked both staff and visitors for their cooperation in resolving the situation swiftly and safely. The park reopened as usual the following day.
Meet Mish and Lucy
Mish and Lucy are European brown bears with a remarkable story. They were rescued as cubs in 2019 after being found abandoned in a snowdrift in the Albanian mountains. Following rescue attempts, it became clear they wouldn’t survive in the wild. After a fundraising campaign, they were brought into the Wildwood Trust’s care, eventually finding their “forever home” in a bespoke forest enclosure at Wildwood Devon in 2021. Described as inquisitive, friendly, and playful, the siblings are known for enjoying activities like splashing in their pool, swinging in hammocks, and climbing trees – clearly in addition to their fondness for honey.
