Kids & Family

Minnesota Zoo Opens Bear Exhibit—Gets Visit from Mel Gibson

Saturday the Minnesota Zoo welcomed three black bears (who will be on permanent exhibit there) and one very famous Hollywood actor (who will not).

It's been an exciting weekend for the Minnesota Zoo, which unveiled its newest exhibit and attracted one very special visitor, actor Mel Gibson. 

However, the true stars on Saturday were three black bears, female “Tiva” and males “Syke” and “Kuruk,” who were orphaned in the Leech Lake area of the state as cubs. The new exhibit is located on the Medtronic Minnesota Trail, where the two-and-a-half year old bears have a comfy home with trees to climb, a pool for bathing, a cave for napping, and hot rocks to lounge on during the cold weather.

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A schedule of special events to mark the exhibit’s opening is planned for Saturday. See the zoo’s website for more information.

As for Gibson, he seems to be spending some leisure time in the Twin Cities with interior designer Tina O. So far, he has been spotted at the Mall of America in Bloomington, where he posed for photos with fans at Legoland, and Wayzata's Blue Point restaurant.

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