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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A bear escaped an exhibit at a Florida zoo and attacked a zookeeper earlier than being fatally shot by employees, officers mentioned.
The escape in a behind-the-scenes space occurred simply after 5 p.m. Wednesday on the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.
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Zoo officers mentioned in a Facebook publish that an emergency call was initiated and the power’s “lethal weapons team responded immediately.”
“Our highest priority is always the safety of human lives, therefore, the bear was shot and killed,” the assertion mentioned. “We will be conducting an ongoing investigation over the coming days and weeks. We do not take this lightly. It is profoundly painful when we have a loss of an animal, especially under circumstances such as this.”
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FirstCoast News reported that Jacksonville Fire and Rescue crews took the zookeeper who was attacked to a hospital for treatment with accidents that weren’t thought of life-threatening.
A zoo curator advised Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office investigators that when he arrived on the habitat he noticed the bear “actively attacking” the zookeeper. He mentioned the assault continued as they waited for the veterinarian crew to reach, so he made the “executive decision to move in and shoot the bear,” the police report mentioned.
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The bear went again into the enclosure after the taking pictures, the place it died.
Multiple employees moved in to help the sufferer till rescue employees arrived, the report mentioned.
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News retailers recognized the bear as Jonny, a 5-year-old North American black bear.
No further particulars had been instantly accessible.
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