One of the grizzly bears at the Calgary Zoo found himself outside of his designated 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.
According to communications manager Cindy Antonello, “Emergency response protocols were promptly initiated.”
The zoo’s animal care staff and security teams, along with the Calgary Police Service, responded to the situation.
“Fitz was safely tranquilized, and our [animal care] team successfully returned him to his behind-the-scenes area,” Antonello stated. “There were no injuries reported for 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 noted that the incident occurred before the zoo opened to visitors, but the Wild Canada section, which houses the bears, “was temporarily closed while our teams conducted a thorough assessment of the area” prior to reopening in the afternoon.
“Our teams will evaluate the incident as part of our standard post-incident review process. We do not have additional information to provide at this moment,” she added.
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.
Staff Sgt. John Guigon from the Calgary Police Service stated that there was no threat to the public during the occurrence.
“The grizzly bear wandered out, took a stroll around the zoo, sat down, and was tranquilized by the zoo personnel,” he explained.
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Guigon mentioned that police officers were present at the location but did not intervene while the zoo managed the situation.
“I’m sure there were concerns considering it’s a grizzly bear and their potential capabilities, but the bear appeared more interested in just having a little adventure,” he remarked.
Fitz and his brother Turner arrived at the zoo as cubs last fall, after their mother was accidentally killed by a hunter in self-defense near Diamond Valley, located southwest of Calgary.