The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens will implement security and safety enhancements on its bear exhibit to mitigate risks of human error when zookeepers enter shared spaces after an American Black Bear escaped their enclosure.
On December 21, 2022, a seven-year-old North American Black Bear found outside of his exhibit made contact with a zookeeper resulting in the fatal shooting of the animal.
Multiple distraction tactics were performed to save the animal, yet the bear did not disengage, and the decision to use lethal weapons was made in order to save the zookeeper’s life.
Investigations conducted by internal Zoo team members and several external regulatory 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.
Protocols at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens dictate steps to be taken when entering or leaving a space previously occupied by an animal. These protocols are consistent within the zoo field and based on consultation with other Association of Zoos and Aquariums accredited institutions. Still, the findings have prompted the Zoo to review its internal procedures and deploy further safety practices.
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“Human error is something we need to guard against to ensure animal well-being and employee safety. We are conducting a ZOO-wide assessment of our exhibits and deploying extra precautionary methods so that this type of incident is prevented in the future,” said David Hagan, Chief Zoological Officer. “Our primary focus has been and will continue to be safe interactions between our animal care team and animals.”
Several improvements will be reportedly implemented. Most notable is the installation of a two-lock, two-key system in the bear exhibit which has been in place at the Zoo 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.”
Institutionally, the Zoo has assessed and put in place specific safety measures for exhibits with animals commonly considered as dangerous species. Following the bear incident, ongoing evaluations may deem the inclusion of other animal species as the working definition of dangerous is identified.
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