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Wild Black Bear Briefly Visits Sequoia Park Zoo in Eureka, Then Returns to Forest

Officials report the perimeter fence is intact, with the animal’s entry route still under review.

Images show a wild black bear inside the perimeter gate of Eureka’s Sequoia Park Zoo on Friday morning, Oct. 17, 2025. Once inside the zoo, the wild black bear interacted with its captive counterparts through a fence.
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FILE: “He was really, really interested in our three bears, and he introduced himself to all of them through the fence,” Jim Campbell-Spickler, the zoo’s director, told SFGATE. Pictured is an unrelated black bear.
FILE: The century-old Sequoia Park Zoo in Northern California reported that a wild, young American black bear broke into the facility. Pictured is an unrelated black bear.

Overview

  • Staff discovered the young bear on the Redwood Sky Walk during a pre-opening inspection of the zoo.
  • The animal calmly engaged with resident black bears Tule, Ishŭng and Kunabulilh through fencing and examined enrichment items.
  • Emergency protocols were activated as Eureka police and a CDFW warden assisted staff in coaxing the bear out through a service gate.
  • No injuries were reported, no habitats were breached, and visitors were cleared from nearby areas before opening.
  • Authorities say the bear came from the adjacent Sequoia Park, and the zoo director said a tree climb remains a possible explanation for how it entered.