'No risk' to public safety after grizzly bear escaped enclosure, Calgary Zoo says

Amir Said · CBC News

· Posted: Aug 17, 2026 9:00 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

The Wilder Institute's Calgary Zoo is investigating the circumstances around which a grizzly bear escaped his enclosure Sunday morning.

During a Monday afternoon media availability, the zoo's director of animal care, health and welfare said a review of the incident is underway to determine necessary habitat improvements and mitigation measures.

"Our teams are undertaking a thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding Fitz's temporary exit from his habitat," Colleen Baird said.

Staff noticed that Fitz, a one-year-old rescued grizzly bear cub, was out of his containment area during routine early morning checks before opening to the public.

"The animal care health and welfare team quickly activated our emergency response procedures," Baird said.

The bear was tranquilized shortly afterward and is in good health.

Colleen Baird, director of animal care, health and welfare at the Wilder Institute's Calgary Zoo, speaks to reporters on Aug. 17. (Amir Said/CBC)

Baird said there was "no risk" to public safety, as it took place before the zoo opened to the public and the bear remained close to his enclosure during the incident.

The Wild Canada area, where the zoo's bears are housed, remained temporarily closed before reopening in the afternoon.

Calgary police told CBC News Sunday evening that officers responded to the scene but remained on standby.

"I'm sure they were concerned given it's a grizzly bear and what they are capable of doing, but the bear didn't seem interested in doing much more than just having an adventure," Staff Sgt. John Guigon said.

The Wild Canada area, where the zoo's bears are housed, remained temporarily closed after one-year-old grizzly bear Fitz was found outside his enclosure the morning of Aug. 16. (Amir Said/CBC)

It's unknown when Fitz got out of his enclosure, or how long he was out.

"It could have been all night, it could have been a couple hours. It could have been half an hour. We just don't know," Baird said.

She said zoo officials are confident Fitz did not roam around the zoo overnight, as there was no evidence of destruction or footprints, and security cameras did not capture him moving beyond the immediate area.

The now-empty enclosure in which grizzly bear brothers Fitz and Turner were housed. The two have been temporarily removed from the enclosure as the Wilder Institute's Calgary Zoo works to identify the circumstances around Fitz's escape. (Amir Said/CBC)

It's believed Fitz got out by climbing above the enclosure's containment barriers — eight to 10 feet high with hot wire inside — which allowed him to access an area located just outside and above his habitat.

"He would have had to gone through some pretty heavy lifting to get out," Baird said.

"The way that we contain animals within the zoo, especially dangerous animals, we have layers upon layers of mitigation," she said. "And so he had to have gone through some of that. And that was not comfortable for him. So, he had some yucky moments trying to get out of that habitat."

And on top of that, the entire Calgary Zoo is surrounded by a high barbed wire fence, as part of the zoo's "layers upon layers of mitigation" for keeping animals from getting loose.

WATCH | Fitz and Turner made Calgary Zoo debut in May 2026:

Fitz and his brother Turner have been temporarily removed from their enclosure, and are "safely and comfortably" staying in the zoo's back-of-house space.

"Our teams are currently assessing what additional mitigation measures and improvements to the habitat are appropriate based on our findings of the review," Baird said.

Fitz and Turner were brought to the zoo as cubs last fall after their mother was killed by a hunter in self-defence near Diamond Valley, southwest of Calgary.