JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens says it will be implementing security and safety enhancements on its bear exhibit following an incident involving a bear attack back in 2022.
On Dec. 21, the zoo says a seven-year-old North American Black Bear named Jonny made contact with a zookeeper outside its exhibit. The bear had to be fatally shot as a result of the incident.
The zoo says investigations conducted by team members and several agencies found that the shift door, used to securely move animals from one location to another, was left open and allowed the bear to enter the behind-the-scenes area.
The zoo says it’s installing a two-key system to the bear exhibit which has been in place for years for big cats such as tigers and lions. The system requires two team members to lock and unlock exhibit shift doors with distinct keys.
Likewise, visual markers will be fitted to shift doors as cues to denote open and closed status.
“On behalf of our board of directors, I want to express our appreciation to team members for their quick actions during the incident,“ said President and CEO Dr. Jeff Ettling. “Understandably, our team is still grieving. We love and respect our animals, so the result of this incident has had an enormous impact on all of us. Having said that, we are also extremely grateful that our zookeeper is doing well on the road to recovery. Mistakes can happen, and we are committed to providing a safe and secure environment for all.”
Jonny was one of two black bears at the zoo. He arrived at the zoo in 2017.
For more information, visit jacksonvillezoo.org