A North American black bear was shot and killed at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens after it “escaped from an exhibit and engaged in behind-the-scenes contact with a zookeeper,” officials said.
In a Facebook post, the zoo said the incident began around 5pm on Wednesday: “An emergency radio call was made and our lethal weapons team responded immediately.
“Our priority is always the safety of human life, which is why the bear was shot and killed,” the report said. “We will be conducting an ongoing investigation in the coming days and weeks. We do not take this lightly. Losing an animal is very painful, especially in these circumstances.”
FirstCoast News reports that Jacksonville Fire and Rescue crews took the zookeeper who was attacked to the hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
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An American black bear similar to the one pictured above was shot and killed at a zoo in Jacksonville, Florida on Wednesday.
(Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)
A zoo curator told Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office investigators that he saw the bear “actively attacking” a zookeeper when he arrived at the residence. He said the attack continued while he waited for a veterinary team to arrive, so he “made the decision to shoot the bear,” according to the police report.
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The Jacksonville Zoo and Parks said Wednesday that a “lethal weapons team immediately responded” to the incident.
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After the shooting, the bear went back into the fence and died there.
A bear similar to the one shown above managed to escape from its enclosure at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.
(George Rose/Getty Images)
Several workers came to help the victim before rescuers arrived, the report said.
News agencies identified the bear as Johnny, a 5-year-old North American black bear.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.