A young grizzly bear named Fitz from the Calgary Zoo briefly wandered outside its enclosure early on a Sunday morning. According to a spokesperson from the Wilder Institute’s Calgary Zoo, Fitz left his habitat around 7:30 a.m. Emergency response procedures were promptly activated. The zoo’s animal care and security teams, along with the Calgary Police Service, swiftly responded.

Fitz was safely immobilized and relocated back to his designated space without any harm to visitors, staff, volunteers, or other animals, as stated by communications manager Cindy Antonello. The incident occurred before the zoo opened to the public, and the Wild Canada area where the bears reside was temporarily closed for assessment before reopening later in the day.

Antonello mentioned that a thorough review of the incident would be conducted as part of post-incident protocols. The Calgary Police Service Staff Sgt. John Guigon reassured that there was no threat to the public during the event. Guigon explained that Fitz roamed around the zoo, sat down, and was tranquilized by zoo personnel. While police officers were present at the scene, they remained on standby as the zoo managed the situation.

Fitz and his sibling Turner arrived at the zoo as orphaned cubs last autumn after their mother was tragically killed by a hunter in self-defense near Diamond Valley, southwest of Calgary.