Dec. 22 (UPI) — A bear that escaped its enclosure and injured a zookeeper in Florida has been shot dead, officials said.
Johnny, a 5-year-old male North American black bear, escaped his enclosure at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens around 5:10 p.m. Wednesday after facilities had closed, the zoo said in a statement.
The bear engaged with a zookeeper and an emergency radio call was made, leading the zoo’s lethal weapons team to respond.
“Our highest priority is always the safety of human lives, therefore, the bear was shot and killed. We will be conducting an ongoing investigation over the coming days and weeks,” the zoo said in the statement.
“We do not take this lightly. It is profoundly painful when we have a loss of an animal, especially under circumstances such as this.”
The zookeeper, who has not been identified, was taken to a local hospital by Jackson Fire and Rescue, CBS News reported. Their injuries are not life-threatening.
Kelly Rouillard, a spokesperson for the zoo, told reporters that it is “standard operating procedure” to use lethal force in such instances.
“With a bear of that size, the first thing is we’re protecting a human’s life,” she said. “Tranquilizer wouldn’t have been effective.”
