Bears at a safari park have been spotted enjoying a ride on a pedal boat after heavy rain created a makeshift lake.
A gigantic puddle formed in the black bear enclosure at Woburn Safari Park in Bedfordshire, in the east of England.
Quick-thinking staff immediately took advantage of the new terrain and borrowed a swan-shaped pedal boat, which they left by the edge of the makeshift lake.
Not long after, a sleuth of bears began to investigate. One by one, they started to climb into the boat as it floated on the lake until all four seats were taken.
“There’s been so much wet weather this year, that a new mini lake has formed in the black bears drive-through at Woburn Safari Park,” said Tommy Babington, Deputy Head of the Carnivores Section at Woburn Safari Park, “so we had the idea of turning this into [an] interesting enrichment for them.
“The ’sleuth' of bears was immediately intrigued by their new neighbor and wasted no time in investigating the swan pedal boat.”
Visitors were delighted to see the bears climb on board.
North American brown bears require lots of enrichment and opportunities for play, especially entering the summer months when they are most active. Thus Mr. Babington said the team loves devising new ways for bears to provide food, scent, and habitat enrichment that stimulates their natural foraging behaviors.
Staff shared the adorable pictures on social media, and the post amassed nearly 80,000 likes in under 24 hours.
Woburn Safari Park is home to an adult male bear named Chuck and three female bears named Indiana, Phoenix, and Dixie. The sleuth at the park also includes juvenile male Koda, and females Georgia and Denver.
