The Shanghai Wildlife Park is telling future visitors it will do its "best" to deal with the aftermath of an incident involving the establishment's so-called "wild beast area" that resulted in an employee being killed by bears.
The attack happened on Saturday in an area of the park that is only able to be visited via bus, according to a report from BBC News on Monday. In a statement, a rep for the Shanghai Wildlife Park in Pudong, China called the death a "tragedy" and apologized to the affected visitors "for any inconvenience."
Tickets have been refunded and the "wild beast" attraction has been temporarily closed to future visitors. Moving forward, the rep added, safety guidelines will be overhauled. Footage said to show the fatal incident from the perspective of park visitors on the bus has circulated on social media. In the video, visitors are seen expressing concern and confusion as a group of bears are seen together in one area of the attraction.
According to a separate report from the Washington Post, this specific drive-through portion of the park is known for having black and brown bears "of all sizes" roaming freely.
A rep for PETA noted in the same report that incidents of this nature are indicative of the need for animals to no longer be kept in captivity-focused environments.
"This incident illustrates the profound level of stress, anxiety, and agitation that these animals experience every day of their lives," the rep said.
Back in September, PETA published an extensive breakdown on why zoos and attractions like them represent "an idea whose time has come and gone."
