A one-year-old grizzly bear named Fitz briefly escaped from his enclosure at the Wilder Institute’s Calgary Zoo early Sunday morning, triggering an emergency response before the facility opened to visitors.
Zoo officials said Fitz left his habitat at about 7:30 a.m., roughly 90 minutes before the zoo was scheduled to welcome guests. Staff quickly activated established emergency procedures and worked to secure the young bear.
The zoo’s media relations team reported that staff successfully immobilized Fitz and safely moved him to a back-of-house area. Officials confirmed that the incident did not result in any injuries to guests, employees, volunteers, or animals.
The unexpected escape prompted the zoo to temporarily close part of its Wild Canada section while staff carried out a detailed assessment of the area.
The incident unfolded before visitors were inside the zoo, limiting public exposure while staff responded to the situation.
Zoo officials said emergency procedures were activated immediately after Fitz was found outside his designated habitat. Animal Care, Health & Welfare personnel then worked to bring the bear under control.
Fitz was immobilized before being transferred to a secure back-of-house space. Zoo officials said the process was completed safely and that there were no injuries connected to the incident.
The circumstances surrounding how Fitz managed to leave the enclosure have not been released.
The zoo said its teams will review what happened as part of its post-incident procedures. Officials have not provided additional details about the enclosure, the sequence of events, or whether any changes will be made following the review.
The Wilder Institute’s Calgary Zoo opened to the public shortly after 9 a.m. on Sunday, despite the earlier incident.
However, visitors were initially unable to access the Wild Canada section, where Fitz’s grizzly bear habitat is located.
Zoo officials said the area remained closed while teams completed a full assessment. The temporary restriction allowed staff to inspect the area and determine whether it was suitable for visitors to enter.
The Wild Canada section reopened early Sunday afternoon after the assessment was completed.
The temporary closure meant visitors could enter the zoo while one portion remained restricted. Officials did not report any further issues after Fitz was moved to the back-of-house area.
The zoo has not indicated whether the grizzly bear enclosure itself will remain accessible to visitors following the incident.
One of the key details confirmed by zoo officials was that nobody was injured.
The zoo said there were no injuries involving guests, staff members, volunteers, or animals. Fitz was also safely moved away from the public-facing area after being immobilized.
Because the incident occurred before the zoo opened, visitors were not present when the bear initially left his habitat.
Emergency procedures at zoological facilities are intended to help staff respond quickly when an animal leaves its designated space. The response can involve animal care personnel and other teams working together to secure the animal and protect people and other animals within the facility.
In Fitz’s case, zoo staff were able to contain the situation before the public entered the facility.
The incident nevertheless prompted an internal review, with officials saying the circumstances will be examined under the zoo’s established post-incident process.
Fitz is not an unfamiliar animal to Calgary Zoo visitors.
The young male grizzly is one of two cubs that were orphaned near Diamond Valley last fall. The pair later became part of the Wilder Institute’s Calgary Zoo and made their public debut in May.
Their arrival drew attention because both cubs had been orphaned at a young age. Since arriving at the zoo, they have been cared for by the facility’s animal care team.
Fitz’s age makes Sunday’s incident notable as the bear continues to grow and develop.
Grizzly bears can become increasingly active and physically capable as they mature. For zoos, maintaining secure habitats and monitoring animal behaviour are therefore important parts of daily animal care.
The zoo has not said whether Fitz’s behaviour before the escape played a role in what happened.
For now, Fitz has been moved to a back-of-house area while zoo officials review the incident.
The internal assessment is expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the escape and the response that followed. Officials have not said how long the review will take or whether it will result in changes to the enclosure or visitor access.
The zoo also has not released further information about Fitz’s current status beyond confirming that he was safely relocated.
Visitors who were at the Calgary Zoo on Sunday may have noticed the temporary closure of the Wild Canada section during the morning. The area later reopened after staff completed their assessment.
The zoo has said it does not have additional information to share at this time.
What began as an unexpected enclosure escape ended without reported injuries after zoo personnel responded before the facility opened to visitors.
Fitz was safely immobilized and transferred to a secure area, while the Wild Canada section was temporarily closed for inspection. The zoo then opened its doors shortly after 9 a.m., with the affected section remaining restricted until early Sunday afternoon.
The circumstances surrounding the escape remain under review.
As one of the two orphaned grizzly cubs introduced to the Calgary Zoo earlier this year, Fitz has already attracted public attention. Sunday’s incident has now placed the young bear at the centre of another notable event at the facility.
Zoo officials say the circumstances will be reviewed through established post-incident procedures. Until that review is complete, further details about how Fitz left his enclosure and what steps may follow remain unclear.
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