Ben, the Andean bear.Photo: Saint Louis Zoo
Ben — the 4-year-old Andean bearwho escaped his St. Louis Zoo enclosure twice in one month— is moving to a new zoo in Texas.
On Tuesday, the St. Louis Zoo announced that it is moving Ben to theGladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas, after consulting with several advisory groups, including the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) and Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) Queens Zoo — where Ben was born.
The experts believe the moat at the Andean bear habitat at the Gladys Porter Zoo could create “a more ideal environment” for Ben over the “steel mesh outdoor habitat” at the St. Louis Zoo.
The zoo did not say when Ben would be transferred, but those who want to see the bear for a final time at the St. Louis Zoo may be out of luck as Ben is currently living in “a non-public area” of the zoo that has “both indoor and outdoor options” and a pool, per the zoo.
“Staff members are providing Ben with excellent care and fun enrichment opportunities while also using positive reinforcement training to help him become comfortable with his travel crate so that he has a smooth journey to his new home in Texas,” the St. Louis Zoo shared in a release.
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Ben escaped from his habitat at the zoo on Feb. 7 and Feb. 24. Hislatest escape attemptlasted about 50 minutes. It triggered the Zoo Animal Emergency Response protocol, which requires zoo guests and staff to move into indoor facilities.
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Andean bears are listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’sRed List of Threatened Species. According to the Wildlife Conservation Society,less than 18,000 Andean bearsremain in the wild.
source: people.com
