A bear in the Independence zoo makes a break for it over the weekend.

 

 Yesterday, one of the three Siberian bear sisters at Ralph Mitchell Zoo decided zoo life had become unbearable and made an unsuccessful attempt to tunnel out of her enclosure. While the bear never made it out of the enclosure confines, she did manage to dig under the viewing platform and slip out of sight of staff for very brief period of time. Staff quickly responded to the situation, coaxed the bear back into the security of her pen.

 

Zoo staff have taken steps to reinforce the enclosure to eliminate any chance of a future breakout. For a brief time, staff cleared the zoo of all visitors and notified the Independence Police.

 

Independence City Manager Kelly Passauer stated that visitor safety is the zoo's top priority followed by the safety of the animals.

 

The bears will be off public exhibit for the next few days while staff make sure their enclosure is secure.