Escapee Andean Bear Ben From St. Louis Zoo Will Be Moved to Texas Zoo

An Andean bear named Ben, who twice escaped from the St. Louis Zoo, will be moving to a new habitat in Texas zoo, where zoo experts hope a moat will keep him securely enclosed.

Escapee Bear Ben

In February, Ben made headlines by twice escaping from his barricade. To escape the first time, he damaged the cable holding up the steel mesh enclosing his outdoor habitat. Only a few weeks later, the zoo added cargo clips made of stainless steel with a 450-pound tensile strength to make his enclosure more secure, however, the cunning animal escaped once more. Ben was safely returned to his habitat after both his escape attempts.

In Brownsville, Texas, the Gladys Porter Zoo, which has a long track record of working with Andean bears, was chosen as the best place for Ben to be transferred, according to a consortium of organizations and experts, the St. Louis Zoo announced on Tuesday.

Andean Bear Habitat

The group feels that a moat, as opposed to a steel mesh-enclosed outdoor habitat, would be a better environment for Ben in the zoo's Andean bear habitat.

While the team loves Ben and wishes he could stay in the zoo, Regina Mossotti, animal care vice president at the St. Louis Zoo, said that their primary concern is Ben's welfare. Later, Mossotti expressed her appreciation for the superb care Ben received from the St. Louis Zoo Animal Care staff and for everyone's willingness to look for opportunities to help Ben thrive.

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Andean Bear Species Survival Plan, the Wildlife Conservation Society's Queens Zoo, and the AZA Bear Taxon Advisory Group, and were all consulted by the St. Louis Zoo in their search for a new home for Ben.

According to the zoo, Ben is currently located in a private area of the zoo. To help him feel at ease in his travel crate so he has a smooth journey to his new residence in Texas, he is undergoing positive reinforcement training, CNN reports.

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Vulnerable Species

Ben and other Andean bears are listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as "vulnerable." The species, which is unique to South America, is a type of bear that inhabits the Andes mountains between western Venezuela and southern Bolivia.

The term "Spectacled Bear" originated from the majority of individuals having white, spectacle-like markings around their eyes, according to data from the organization.

The primary threat to the Andean Bear species is habitat loss brought on by road construction, mining, oil exploration, agricultural expansion, and grazing. Andean Bears unprecedentedly raid crops and kill livestock as a result of habitat loss and fragmentation, which leads to an increase in retaliatory and illegal hunting. There are several protected areas where the Andean Bear can be found, but many of them lack sufficient protection or are simply too small and remote to sustain healthy bear populations, IUCN reports.