One of the grizzly bears at the Calgary Zoo temporarily left its enclosure.
A representative from the Wilder Institute’s Calgary Zoo informed CBC News that one-year-old grizzly bear Fitz “left his habitat” around 7:30 a.m. on Sunday.
“Emergency response protocols were promptly initiated,” said communications manager Cindy Antonello in a statement.
The zoo’s animal care and security personnel, along with the Calgary Police Service, quickly responded.
“Fitz was safely tranquilized, and our [animal care] team successfully moved him to his back-of-house area,” Antonello stated. “There were no injuries reported among guests, staff, volunteers, or animals.”
Orphans Turner and Fitz will live in the Wild Canada exhibit. They explored their new habitat at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo for the first time Thursday.
Antonello mentioned that the event occurred prior to the zoo’s opening to the public, but the Wild Canada section housing the bears “was temporarily closed while our teams conducted a complete assessment of the area” before it reopened later in the afternoon.
“Our teams will analyze the details surrounding the incident as part of our established post-incident procedures. We do not have any additional information to provide at this moment,” she stated.
Polar bears have been at the zoo in Calgary since the 1930s, but there has been a series of mishaps — even deaths — over the decades. CBC’s Josiah Sinanan explains that history, and how the zoo has committed to adhering to new standards with the introduction of its latest bears.
According to Calgary Police Service Staff Sgt. John Guigon, there was no threat to the public during the situation.
“The grizzly bear wandered out, took a stroll around the zoo, settled down, and was tranquilized by zoo personnel,” he stated.
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Guigon mentioned that police officers were present at the scene but remained on standby while the zoo managed the situation.
“I can understand their concern given that it’s a grizzly bear and its potential capabilities, but the bear appeared uninterested in anything more than having a bit of an adventure,” he remarked.
Fitz and his brother Turner were brought to the zoo last fall as cubs after their mother was shot by a hunter in self-defense near Diamond Valley, located southwest of Calgary.