Two pilots narrowly avoided disaster in Staffordshire after coming within inches of landing inside a polar bear enclosure.
The close call occurred on Tuesday at Peak Wildlife Park in Leek, where staff spotted two powered paragliders descending toward an area housing two male polar bears, Nanook and Nori. At first, park employees believed the pilots were heading for fields beyond the park grounds.
However, as the paragliders continued to lose altitude, it quickly became clear something was wrong. Keepers raised the alarm and rushed toward the enclosure carrying non-lethal deterrents, fearing an emergency situation was imminent.
Park director James Butler said the outcome initially seemed “almost certain” to end badly, as the pilots cut their engines and appeared set to land directly inside the bears’ habitat.
“In the final moments, they altered course and touched down just outside the enclosure,” Butler explained. “It’s likely they finally noticed the two very large polar bears directly below them.”
Fortunately, the last-second maneuver prevented what could have been a serious — or even fatal — incident. Butler noted that polar bears are among the most dangerous predators in the world and said the situation could have turned tragic rather than oddly humorous.
Nanook and Nori, both four years old, arrived at Peak Wildlife Park with their mother, Hope, in August 2023 after their previous home at a wildlife park in Sweden closed.