A young grizzly bear named Fitz from the Calgary Zoo briefly left his habitat early Sunday morning, according to a spokesperson from the Wilder Institute’s Calgary Zoo. The incident triggered emergency procedures, with zoo staff and the Calgary Police Service swiftly responding. Fitz was safely immobilized and relocated without any harm to visitors, staff, or animals.
The zoo temporarily closed the Wild Canada area where the bears are housed for assessment before reopening later in the day. The zoo’s team will conduct a thorough review of the incident as part of their standard post-incident protocols. The public was not at risk during the incident, as confirmed by Calgary Police Service Staff Sgt. John Guigon, who mentioned that the bear was tranquilized without incident.
Fitz and his brother Turner arrived at the zoo as cubs last year after their mother was fatally shot by a hunter near Diamond Valley, southwest of Calgary. The zoo has a history of bear mishaps, but the current incident was handled efficiently, with no injuries reported.