Bear escapes habitat at Texas zoo; no one hurt

This photo provided by the Gladys Porter Zoo shows Oscar, a black bear a few minutes before he managed to climb out of his exhibit area on Monday morning, Aug 4, 2014 at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas. An official with the zoo on Tuesday said Oscar will remain out of public view, in his sleeping quarters, until repairs are made to the bear grotto. His escape lasted about 90 minutes. (AP Photos/Gladys Porter Zoo, Patricia Scanlan) This photo provided by the Gladys Porter Zoo shows Oscar, a black bear a few minutes before he managed to climb out of his exhibit area on Monday morning, Aug 4, 2014 at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas. An official with the zoo on Tuesday said Oscar will remain out of public view, in his sleeping quarters, until repairs are made to the bear grotto. His escape lasted about 90 minutes. (AP Photos/Gladys Porter Zoo, Patricia Scanlan)

By Associated Press August 5, 2014 2 min read

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) – A 220-pound black bear who managed to climb out of a South Texas zoo exhibit took a dip in a pond with some harbor seals before staffers tranquilized him.

No one was hurt in the incident Monday at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville. Zoo spokeswoman Cynthia Galvan said Tuesday that the male bear, named Oscar, is staying in his sleeping quarters, out of public view, until repairs are made to cracks in the concrete wall of the bear grotto.

Oscar apparently made his way out by digging his claws into cracks in the grotto’s concrete wall, Galvan said.

“A zoo visitor witnessed that he was trying to climb the wall, went to report it to one of the zoo employees,” Galvan said.

When staff arrived, Oscar was already out. “He meandered his way through the amphitheater and into the harbor seals’ pool for a dip,” Galvan said.