Bear killed in fight at Pairi Daiza

A bear has died in a fight with another bear at Pairi Daiza over the weekend during opening hours, though the area was quickly cordoned off to prevent panic from visitors.

The two bears normally live together in harmony but got into a violent confrontation, RTBF reports.

Park staff immediately tried to intervene, firing blank shots to startle the animals and thereby bring an end to the fight, but one of the bears died of its injuries.

“It's a rare, unpredictable behaviour, but one that can be observed in the wild, particularly between males, in an attempt to gain dominance,” said Hubert Vanslembrouck, Pairi Daiza’s communications director.

“Like all the animals we have here at the park, our American black bears were born in zoos, but they retain their natural instincts.”

The fight occurred in the black bears’ expansive territory, where around 10 of the animals are kept.

While the fight posed no danger to the public, the area was quickly closed off to prevent visitors, especially children, from being disturbed by the unexpected event.