Shock moment HUGE grumpy bear tries to sink his teeth in car at safari park
THESE pictures show the astonishing moment a grumpy bear leapt onto the bonnet of a car at at a safari park in Bedfordshire before trying to sink his teeth into the bodywork.
Ms Mallaney, who lives in Leighton Buzzard, was visiting Woburn on Monday when they found themselves confronted by the six foot tall black bear.
She said: "We drove around and hadn't seen many animals yet when suddenly we rounded a corner and saw a bear which jumped straight onto the car.
“We beeped the horn three times – as per the instructions around the park to call for help during emergencies – but no one responded.
It's teeth were out, it wasn't a friendly bear
“It was incredibly frightening as it was 100 percent trying to get inside.
“It's teeth were out, it wasn't a friendly bear.”
Ms Mallaney said she later spoke a member of staff who admitted his surprise at the incident, and was told by him the heat may have put the bear in a bad mood.
However a Woburn Safari Park has denied heat played a part in the bear confronting Ms Mallaney and her family and said no one at the park heard the car's horn.
She said: “We would like to apologise for the bear worrying the family.
“The incident was investigated by the Duty Manager who was reassured that the family were all okay, and can confirm that the heat played no part in the bear’s curiosity.
“We are glad to see from the photo that the family enjoyed the rest of their visit to the park.
“However we would like to issue a reminder to visitors that we are a ‘Safari Park’ as opposed to a petting zoo.
“We have many wonderful and endangered animals at our park, from Amur tigers and elephants, to black bears and sea lions.
“During our Road Safari experiences, animals can come close to vehicles and so a strict safety policy is in place, which all of our guests are informed about and instructed to follow for their own safety.
“Our aim is to replicate the animals natural environment whilst offering an exciting, but safe experience for the whole family.”
Wild bear cools off in LA family swimming pool
She stressed that the deputy head of the carnivore section had been on patrol at the time, but had heard nothing.
She insisted: "He would have attended.”
Ms Mallaney said the park has offered her and her family a VIP meet and greet at the park.