Black Bear Killed After Escaping FL Exhibit, Attacking Zookeeper: Zoo

JACKSONVILLE, FL — A North American black bear was shot and killed after attacking a zookeeper Wednesday afternoon, Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens shared in a Facebook post.

The bear escaped from its exhibit just after 5 p.m. and "engaged a zookeeper behind the scenes,” the zoo wrote.

An emergency call for help was made and the zoo’s lethal weapons team responded immediately, killing the bear.

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“Our highest priority is always the safety of human lives, therefore, the bear was shot and killed,” the zoo wrote in its post. “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.”

Earlier this month, the zoo lost its oldest silverback gorilla, Lash, the zoo said in an earlier Facebook post. The gorilla, who would have turned 46 on Christmas Day, was being treated for heart disease and arthritis. The median life expectancy for male gorillas is 33.

The zoo has more than 2,000 animals on display and more than 100 landscaped acres for visitors to enjoy, according to its website.