Entertaining the bears at the Swan Boat Zoo

A swan boat entertained bears at a zoo in Great Britain.

A lucky group of young black bears were treated to a pedalo ride at a safari park in Bedfordshire, England.

Heavy rains created a small lake in their 13-hectare property. Then the zookeepers at the park decided to float a swan pedal boat in the water for them.

Tommy Babington, deputy chief of the park's hunting division, said the bears were “immediately intrigued” by their new neighbors and “wasted no time exploring.” The pedal boat is normally used elsewhere on site but is awaiting new pedals.

“Visitors have had so much fun getting on board, and we love finding new ways to enrich the food, smells and habitats that stimulate their natural feeding habits,” Babington said.

Because bears are naturally very curious animals, any kind of stimulation in a park habitat helps keep their minds and bodies active. A swan boat was unusual – but it worked to keep the bears and visitors busy.