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West Orange, NJ) — A black bear is back in her enclosure after escaping Thursday from New Jersey’s Turtle Back Zoo. The bear, named Jelly, simply lumbered out of the West Orange zoo before it opened to the public for the day. Human error is blamed. It seems someone failed to lock a gate. But Jelly wasn’t on the lam for long. Her disappearance was noticed immediately and zoo staff easily recaptured the 20-year-old bear within five minutes. The zoo says at no time were any staff in any immediate danger.
Jelly’s been reunited with her sibling, a bear named Jam. The two are popular with visitors ever since arriving as young cubs.
Essex County officials say they will review all protocols at the zoo, and if needed will retrain some workers to ensure no animal escapes again. The Turtle Back Zoo houses around 1400 animals, including birds, alligators, a jaguar and a giraffe.
