Sam Amico
We already know what a bear does in the woods and now we can start saying what a bear does when he is hanging out in the St. Louis Zoo. At least, we can when it comes to Ben the Bear. And that would be to escape.
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After all, Ben has done it twice now — and in two weeks’ time. On the second occasion, Ben sent the entire zoo into lockdown mode. No one could be sure what he might do once he got out.
Last time, he “meddled with the steel mesh in just the right spot” to bust loose, the zoo said in a statement. So it added extra steel to his enclosure.
Well, that isn’t about to detain big ol’ Ben, age 4.
What isn’t known is how he actually escaped the second time. He managed to do it after being given a health check and was determined to be safe and feeling fine after the first breakout.
Ben, The Con Artist
Ben is what’s known as an Andean bear, and they are said to be especially curious. Gee, ya think?
Eventually, he was tracked down and subdued with a tranquilizer dart and taken back to the same spot from which he keeps escaping. It’s not known if the zoo had added even more obstacles to his area. May not be a bad idea.
“The habitat we’ve had since 2016, we have not had a bear escape from that habitat ever,” Zoo Director Michael Macek has said. “He’s just very curious.”
The zoo added in a statement that Ben “is young and adventurous. Our team will continue to work collaboratively and consult with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Bear Taxon Advisory Group (TAG) to investigate other alternative ways to secure the habitat.”
