A bear cub has broken loose in the cargo hold of a passenger flight from Dubai to Baghdad.
A specialized animal control team had to be called in to sedate the animal when workers at the Dubai airport discovered it was running amok on board.
Incredible video footage actually shows workers opening the cargo hold and giving the bear a scratch on the head as they wait for animal control.
Passengers on board the Iraq Airways flight from Dubai to Baghdad were told to disembark the plane while the animal control team worked to control the bear.
It apparently took crews three hours to safely remove the bear, causing a long three-and-a-half-hour delay for those on board.
The Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shayya’ Sabbar al Sudani has actually ordered an investigation into the incident.
And Iraqi Airways has released a statement apologizing to those on board, but insisting it was not to blame for the bear’s escape.
You can watch the vid here!
“The administration of the company apologizes to the travelers of the flight,” it said.
“[When] the animal escaped the crate specified for its shipment… the plane crew coordinated with UAE’s authority who sent a specialized team to sedate the animal and take it off the plane.
“After checking the plane and making sure there is no damage from this incident, the flight returned to Baghdad.”
Unsurprisingly, people on Twitter / X are now comparing the situation to the 2006 action thriller movie Snakes on a Plane starring Samuel L Jackson.
“What I learned today – I’d rather have snakes on a plane than bears on a plane. I can catch or kill a snake, bears can catch and kill me,” Dr Mojo Martian said.
“Of all the things to worry about on a plane, I didn’t know a bear was one of them,” one woman said.
