52-year-old elephant returned safely after escaping zoo enclosure
A 52-year-old elephant escaped her enclosure at a New Mexico zoo on Sunday.
Alice, an Asian elephant, was discovered outside of the elephant habitat at Albuquerque's ABQ BioPark by security staff on March 29 at approximately 7:30 a.m., while the zoo was closed, according to a news release.
According to the release, the zoo's animal care staff was able to call Alice to return to her habitat.
The elderly elephant did not sustain any injuries during her brief trip away from home, the release stated.
ABQ BioPark said "no other elephants left the habitat, and no staff were ever in harm's way" during the incident.
"The Zoo was closed at the time, so no guests were present on grounds during this event," it added.
The biopark, which houses a zoo, an aquarium, and a beach, said it will continue to monitor Alice closely and will repair and reinforce some fencing.
Alice's short and unexpected getaway caused the zoo to delay opening Sunday by 30 minutes, as staff cleared debris Alice had left behind while she ate surrounding plants and walked around.
"The BioPark routinely runs drills to practice response to all types of emergencies, and today, the staff executed that protocol perfectly," ABQ BioPark said in a news release.
It added, "Because the elephant care team has developed a deep and trusting bond with Alice, she walked safely and calmly back to her habitat when called."
