Bears at a Bedfordshire safari park played with a swan-shaped pedalo after heavy rains created a temporary lake in their enclosure.
Staff at Woburn Safari Park provided the pedalo, and the bears quickly occupied all four seats onboard.
Tommy Babington, deputy head of the carnivores section at Woburn Safari Park, said: ‘There’s been so much wet weather this year that a new mini lake has formed in the black bears drive-through at Woburn Safari Park, so we had the idea of turning this into interesting enrichment for them.’
The North American black bears require a lot of stimulation to keep them busy, especially during the summer months.
Bears, especially young cubs, love to play for various reasons like brain development, fitness, and burning energy.
According to the North American Bear Center, each cub has its unique personality when it comes to playfulness.
Mr Babington added: ‘It was great fun for visitors to see them climb on board, and we love devising new ways to provide food, scent and habitat enrichment that stimulates their natural foraging behaviors.’
Black bears are a curious species – one even helped himself to an entire box of cupcakes in a car park.
In total, the bear destroyed 60 cupcakes and a ‘bunch of coconut cake’, the shop said.
But they seemed to embrace the encounter, releasing ‘bear’ themed treats just days after.
