The moment was caught on CCTV
13:18, 21 Dec 2025Updated 14:42, 21 Dec 2025
A pair of wayward paragliders almost came face-to-face with two polar bears – after coming just inches from landing in their enclosure at a North Staffordshire attraction. Staff at Peak Wildlife Park, on the outskirts of Leek, had noticed two motorised gliders heading directly towards the enclosure containing Nanook and Nori on Tuesday lunchtime.
Rushing towards the compound – armed with non-lethal firearms in case the worst happened – keepers were relieved to see the gliders had managed to divert their landing just to the right side of the bears’ border. And the moment was caught on CCTV with footage showing just how close they had come to the animals.
Park director James Butler told the Press Association: “The animal keepers noticed the motorised paragliders and initially assumed they were going to land in one of the fields behind the park. After a few minutes, it became clear they were descending lower and lower, and at that point a radio call was made.
A pair of wayward paragliders (top centre right) had a lucky escape after mistakenly landing just inches from two male polar bears.
“They then cut their engines and appeared almost certain to land in the field containing the bears. At the last moment, however, they diverted their course, presumably after spotting the two very large polar bears directly beneath them.
“Polar bears are among the world’s most dangerous predators and had the paragliders landed there, the outcome could have been tragic, rather than fairly comic.”
The four-year-old polar bears arrived at the park in August 2023 after their original home at a park in Sweden was closed.
More on Peak Wildlife Park can be found on the attraction’s website here.
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