AZA-ACCREDITED CALGARY ZOO SAYS FITZ THE GRIZZLY SCALED THREE-METRE WIRE FENCE TO ESCAPE ENCLOSURE
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CALGARY — A grizzly bear cub that escaped his enclosure at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo over the weekend did so by scaling a three-metre wire-and-mesh fence.
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Colleen Baird, director of animal care at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo, said staff are looking at ways to tighten security but that there are enough checks and redundant safety procedures in place.
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“It’s safe to come to the zoo,” Baird told reporters Monday.
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Baird said Fitz, the one-year-old bear, managed to climb over the fence, which is more than two metres tall with an additional metre on top that slopes inward.
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A morning check by staff Sunday at approximately 7:30 a.m.—before the zoo opened—found that Fitz was outside his enclosure.
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Shortly afterward, he was discovered near his enclosure. Fitz was anesthetized and returned safely to his habitat by 9 a.m.
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Police said officers were called to provide support during the response, but they remained outside the zoo and ultimately were not needed.
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Baird said there was no physical evidence or security-camera footage indicating that the cub had wandered throughout the zoo grounds.
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“We would have seen other evidence,” Baird said. “Bears are destructive. There’s lots of mud and muck. We would have seen footprints.”
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“I’m very confident this bear was not travelling around the zoo at night.”
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Complete Article:
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Zoo Statement:
Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo — Statement on Grizzly Cub Incident
Evidence. Education. Accountability.
