A couple who got engaged in Mexico had their romantic proposal interrupted by an uninvited guest: a wild black bear. Luckily for all, the party crasher only seemed interested in scouting for snacks, but it made for an unforgettable moment.
Both 30 and hailing from Monterrey, Mexico, Cecilia Canabal and her fiancé, Ricardo Morales, met at a virtual church singles mixer in spring of 2021. They got engaged in October 2022 at Parque Ecológico Chipinque.
For his proposal, which was disguised as dinner with friends, Morales chose a beautiful hotel in the park, surrounded by mountains. Canabal took a little convincing—she felt unwell after a minor accident that same morning—but when the couple arrived, their server guided them to a terrace overlooking the city, strewn with rose petals.
Canabal told The Epoch Times: “There were letters that said, ‘Marry me.’ I got all excited ... Ricardo was about to put the ring on my finger [when the bear walked past].
“He was looking around for food. When Ricardo was on his knee, we heard someone yelling at us, ‘Don’t be afraid,’ and we were like, ‘About what? The commitment?’ We ignored the people and we kept our romantic scene. But when I turned my face to Ricardo, instead of seeing his face I saw the bear beside him.”
Luckily, the bear shuffled on before he completely stole the limelight, and Morales placed the engagement ring on Canabal’s finger. “She said yes!” reads his video caption.
Canabal, who works in a hospital laboratory, told The Epoch Times that family and friends were delighted about the proposal but blown away by the wild black bear’s appearance.
The couple suspected the footage would go viral on social media but had no idea just how big it would get.
“A lot of our friends tagged us in every video they saw or in every repost they saw,” Canabal said. “We looked for the comments and some of them were very funny. Some were like, ‘Oh, that’s a signal that it’s going to be a beautiful and long-lasting marriage,’ and that’s amazing!”
As recently as a few years ago, it was very unusual to see black bears in public parks in Monterrey, Canabal said. But while the bear holds no meaningful symbology in Mexican culture, it was nonetheless a “very magical moment” for the couple.
“I am very happy for the commitment we are both [making] and for the marriage that’s coming,” Canabal said. “I will share this story with my kids and grandkids one day.”
Canabal and Morales plan to marry in spring of 2023.
