A terrifying incident unfolded as a zookeeper was attacked by a bear in front of astonished visitors at a zoo in China’s Zhejiang province. The attack occurred during a performance where workers were making black bears jump over obstacles. In a shocking video captured by onlookers, one of the bears turned on the zookeeper, knocking him to the ground.
Before the attack, the keeper was seen holding the bear’s paw as it stood upright before walking onto the stage. The bear then suddenly attacked the worker, pinning him to the ground while another staff member tried to intervene by hitting the bear with a plastic stool.
Additional workers rushed over with various items, including a stick and even a basketball hoop and board, in an attempt to separate the bear from the man. One worker holding a blue parrot also joined the effort to help his colleague. Eventually, the bear momentarily walked away from the worker before returning to grab him once more.
The animal was eventually restrained, and the zoo staff safely led it away. The zoo confirmed that no injuries were reported as a result of the incident. Officials mentioned that the zookeeper was carrying a bag filled with apples and carrots, which they believe may have triggered the bear’s aggressive reaction.
The zoo’s spokesperson stated that during an animal behavior demonstration, a black bear tried to snatch food from the trainer, resulting in the incident. They acknowledged that the on-site response was inadequate and apologized for the unpleasant experience it caused to visitors. As a precaution, the zoo suspended the black bear behavior demonstration and promised to provide care and monitoring for the animals involved.
This incident is not isolated, as a similar attack occurred at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens in Florida, where a bear escaped its enclosure and attacked a zookeeper, leading to the animal being euthanized. Zoo officials swiftly responded to the situation with their emergency protocol.