THE DAILY WIRE · FLORIDA, USA · 2026-09-08
Bear Reverses Traditional Zoo Arrangement, Breaks In Instead of Out
In a twist on the usual zoo escape narrative this columnist has grown wearily familiar with, a young black bear broke into Naples Zoo rather than out of it, prompting staff to evacuate visitors as a precaution. No injuries were reported, and the bear's motive for wanting a closer look at captive wildlife remains, officially, undetermined.
The visitor evacuation appears to have been swift and orderly, per the original report, which this desk notes is more than can be said for most Florida wildlife encounters that make national news. Zoo staff managed the situation without incident.
Webster located Deacon Willie, an alligator with a long and mostly disinterested view of the region's wildlife traffic, for his assessment of the bear's decision-making.
His remarks focused less on the bear itself and more on general commentary regarding Florida as a habitat, which he delivered unprompted and at length.
The full report has further detail on how the bear ultimately exited the property, which this columnist trusts was less dramatic than its entrance. Spun and done.
“A bear breaking into the zoo to see the animals — that's the most Florida sentence I've heard all week, and I live in a drainage ditch by a Denny's. Bears are strong swimmers, so if he'd come my way I'd have just let him have the lagoon.” — Deacon Willie, local alligator
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