It was a quiet Friday morning at the Sequoia Park Zoo in Eureka, California, when staff on a routine inspection of the Redwood Sky Walk stumbled upon an unexpected guest—a wild black bear, described by all accounts as remarkably polite and curious. The encounter, which took place before the zoo opened its gates to visitors on October 21, 2025, has since captured the imagination of locals and animal lovers far beyond Northern California.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the wild bear was first spotted leaning over a gate on the Redwood Sky Walk, a self-guided tour that offers panoramic views of the redwood forest and the zoo’s animal habitats. The bear, estimated to be about one-and-a-half years old and weighing roughly 150 pounds, seemed more interested in making friends than causing trouble. “The wild bear did not appear aggressive and was observed interacting with Tule, Ishúng, and Kunabulilh through their habitat fencing,” the zoo said in a statement quoted by Daily Mail, referencing its three resident black bears.
Photos shared by the zoo show the wild bear perched on a viewing balcony, peering in at Tule, Ishúng, and Kunabulilh—also known by his nickname, Nabu—from a respectful distance. “Overall, he was a very polite visitor. He stayed on the boardwalk path, kept two feet on the ground and didn’t try to climb over the railings!” the zoo shared on its social media, a sentiment echoed across local news outlets. The bear even explored some enrichment toys left out for the zoo animals, but made no attempt to breach the enclosures or disturb the zoo’s carefully maintained habitats.
Zoo Director Jim Campbell-Spickler speculated that the young bear may have been drawn in by the scent of his fellow bears. “He was just a curious guy,” Campbell-Spickler told the San Francisco Chronicle. “It was a young bear finding its way in the world.” The director further explained that the bear managed to enter the zoo by climbing a tree from the adjacent 60-acre Sequoia Park, but was unable to find his way back out on his own. Notably, the perimeter fencing separating the public park from the zoo’s animal kingdom was found to be intact and undisturbed, adding to the mystery of the bear’s arrival.
Once the bear was discovered, an emergency protocol swung into action. The Eureka Police Department and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife were quickly contacted to ensure a calm and safe outcome for both the animal and the public. Laura Montagna, the Eureka Police Department’s public information officer, told the Los Angeles Times, “At no point did the wild bear enter any animal habitats and, after a brief exploration of the enrichment items around the night house, the bear was safely coaxed back into the woods through a service gate.” Police officers made sure that no humans were nearby during the bear’s exit, a precaution intended to keep the animal calm and unafraid.
The incident has prompted a wave of playful responses on social media. One Facebook user quipped, “[The bear] was a very considerate guest. Some of your human visitors could probably take some lessons in behavior from him.” Another joked that the bear was “looking for an application. ... He wanted to be an ambearssador!” Yet, zoo officials struck a more serious note in their official statements, reminding the public that “wild bears and other animals call Sequoia Park home, and we remind our guests to responsibly live alongside them by observing wildlife from a distance, staying on marked trails and always being aware of your surroundings.”
The three resident black bears the wild visitor came to see have their own compelling backstories. Tule was found alone as a cub in the Tule River National Reservation in the spring of 2022, weighing just 3.7 pounds and suffering from various health issues. After specialists were unable to locate his mother, Tule was rehabilitated and later joined the Sequoia Park Zoo. Ishúng, too, was placed at the zoo by the Department of Fish and Wildlife, while Kunabulilh (Nabu) arrived in June 2025 after being found in critical condition as a yearling cub. Their shared home, the bear and coyote habitat, was only opened in the summer of 2023, marking a new chapter for the zoo’s animal care efforts.
California is home to a thriving black bear population, with estimates ranging from 49,000 to 71,000 across the state, according to Daily Mail. About half of these bears live in the North Coast and Cascade regions—making encounters like this one more common, though rarely so charming. Over the past year and a half, the Eureka area has seen several bear sightings, including one last month that may have involved the same solitary visitor.
Experts and wildlife officials stress the importance of proper bear etiquette for humans who might find themselves in similar situations. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife advises people to remain calm, identify themselves by speaking in a normal voice, avoid running, and make themselves appear as large as possible if they encounter a bear. These guidelines are designed to ensure safety for both people and animals, especially as urban and wild spaces increasingly overlap.
While the wild bear’s visit was resolved without incident, the episode has reignited discussions about the delicate balance between human activity and wildlife in California’s parks and protected areas. The Sequoia Park Zoo’s staff continue to monitor the area closely, mindful that their open invitation to “wildlife welcome” sometimes yields surprising results. As the zoo wryly noted, “When we say ‘wildlife welcome,’ this isn’t exactly what we have in mind.”
Ultimately, the story of the polite wild bear serves as a gentle reminder that, even in our carefully curated environments, nature has a way of making itself known—sometimes with little more than a curious glance and a soft footstep on a boardwalk.
