One-year-old grizzly bear Fitz escapes Calgary Zoo enclosure, safely returned
The bear exited his habitat Sunday morning before the zoo opened. Zoo staff immobilized him and relocated him safely with no injuries to people or animals.
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One-year-old grizzly bear Fitz escaped his enclosure at the Calgary Zoo on August 17, at about 7:30 a.m., before the zoo opened to the public.
Zoo staff immediately activated emergency response procedures. The animal care and security teams, along with Calgary Police Service, responded to the scene. "Fitz was successfully immobilized, and our [animal care] team safely relocated him to his back-of-house space," said Cindy Antonello, the zoo's communications manager. "There were no injuries to guests, staff, volunteers or animals."
The Wild Canada area, where the zoo's bears are housed, remained temporarily closed while teams completed a full assessment. It reopened in the afternoon. Staff Sgt. John Guigon of Calgary Police said there was no danger to the public. "The grizzly bear got out, took a little walk around the zoo, sat down and was tranquilized by members of the zoo," he said. "The bear didn't seem interested in doing much more than just having an adventure."
Fitz and his brother Turner arrived at the zoo as cubs last fall after their mother was killed by a hunter in self-defence near Diamond Valley, southwest of Calgary. The zoo said it will review the circumstances of the incident as part of its established post-incident procedures.
The facts
When did Fitz escape from the Calgary Zoo?
One-year-old grizzly bear Fitz escaped his enclosure at the Calgary Zoo on August 17, 2026, at about 7:30 a.m., before the zoo opened to the public.
Was anyone hurt when Fitz escaped?
No injuries occurred to guests, staff, volunteers, or animals during the incident at the Calgary Zoo. Fitz was safely immobilized and relocated by the zoo's animal care team.
