A black bear visiting Walt Disney World disrupted Magic Kingdom operations Monday, with several rides and attractions shut down. State officials say the animal was likely just looking for the simple bear necessities.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported in the early afternoon that biologists with the bear-management program had captured the female bear.

“In most cases, it is best for bears to be given space and to move along on their own, but given this situation, staff have captured the animal and are relocating the bear out of the park to an area in or around the Ocala National Forest,” according to an official FWC statement.

Tom Sawyer Island, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Liberty Square Riverboat and Walt Disney World Railroad were among several Magic Kingdom attractions that had been listed as “temporarily closed” on the My Disney Experience app. Disney, in conjunction with FWC, decided to reopen Frontierland, Liberty Square and Adventure around midday.

 

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“This particular bear was likely moving through the area searching for food,” according to an FWC statement. During the fall, bears are more actively looking for food in order to pack on “fat reserves” for the winter.

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