Updated

Police in the northern Spanish region of Cantabria are searching a mountain safari-type park to determine if a bear has escaped after local youths reported having seen one outside the park's perimeter.

A regional government spokesman said Friday that Cabarceno park authorities have no indication that a bear has escaped and police have so far found no paw prints, excrement or signs of a bear loose in the area.

He said the nature park had about 80 bears and stretched across hectares (86 acres) in a mountainous area south of the city of Santander. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with regional government regulations.