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An Indiana zoo’s African exhibit was evacuated when its latest arrival, a wildebeest, was found to have escaped from its enclosure and found its way into an adjacent habitat.
A spokesperson for the Fort Wayne Zoo confirmed a zoo employee spotted the wildebeest, which arrived at the facility July 7, in the wrong habitat on Friday afternoon. The animal had apparently escaped its enclosure by traveling across a shared pond space.
The African Journey exhibit was evacuated to create a calm environment for the wildebeest while zookeepers addressed the situation.
“Our team’s response yesterday was exactly what we train for and what we hope to see whenever an unexpected situation occurs,” Michelle Smurl, the zoo’s vice president of animal care and conservation education, told WANE-TV.
“Their quick actions allowed us to secure the area and provide the wildebeest with a safe path back into his habitat. We are proud of the collaboration and expertise demonstrated by our staff, and most importantly, the incident was resolved safely for both our guests and the animals in our care.”
The wildebeest was able to return to its own habitat.
The African Savanna exhibit was later reopened.
