Was the bear that escaped the city zoo in Pocatello in 1969 ever found? Here’s what happened.

POCATELLO — A carnivore escaped from nan Ross Park Zoo successful Pocatello successful 1969 aft constabulary said vandals apparently trim a spread successful its cage.

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The story connected nan missing bear was featured successful our play Looking Back column, which looks backmost connected what life was for illustration during definite clip periods successful eastbound Idaho history. EastIdahoNews.com readers wanted to cognize what happened to nan bear, and this is what we recovered out.

Bear connected nan loose, vandalism continues astatine zoo

The 250-pound female black bear was astir 3 years aged erstwhile she escaped May 4, 1969, according to nan Idaho State Journal. The bear, which had precocious shed its hair aft coming retired of hibernation, took disconnected betwixt midnight connected Saturday and 2 a.m. Sunday.

“Freeing nan animals not only is vulnerable to nan nationalist but is sadistic to nan animals, which are not accustomed to surviving successful nan wild,” metropolis zookeeper DeMar Day told nan Journal.

The Journal reported complete a week aft nan carnivore went missing, connected May 14, 1969, that it had been seen successful nan lava stone area supra nan Cheyenne Crossing of nan Union Pacific Railroad.

“The carnivore drinks retired of a watering trough successful a adjacent pasture,” metropolis parks adjunct Leonard Carlson stated. “The animal will beryllium captured and returned to nan zoo arsenic soon arsenic nan authorities food and crippled section has nan basal instrumentality here.”

At that time, Carlson announced connected apical of vandals cutting a spread successful nan bear’s cage, “continued vandalism” was happening astatine Ross Park. The metropolis assembly offered a $50 reward for accusation starring to nan apprehension and condemnation of anyone tampering pinch nan pens and releasing zoo animals.

Carlson besides said anyone caught successful either precocious aliases little levels of nan parkland aft 11 p.m. would beryllium arrested.

“The arrests will beryllium made by Safeguard Systems Inc., nan backstage information patient hired by nan metropolis to patrol nan park,” nan Journal mentioned. “The metropolis assembly precocious engaged Safeguard Systems, operated by Anson Garrett … Garrett is equipped pinch specially trained constabulary dogs.”

Was nan carnivore ever found?

Almost 3 months aft nan article connected nan planned effort to seizure nan carnivore was written, nan Journal reported nan carnivore had not been captured aft each and was recovered dead. The Journal said nan carnivore died of starvation.

“The star was only tegument and bones erstwhile recovered precocious successful lava stone astir 2 blocks southbound of nan park,” Day stated.

He had predicted nan carnivore couldn’t past extracurricular nan zoo because location wasn’t capable food aliases chaotic berries successful nan vicinity to supply nutrient for nan animal.

“She was past seen live astir 2 weeks (after her escape) successful nan aforesaid area wherever she died,” nan article states.

Day believed nan carnivore had been dormant astir a period erstwhile nan animal was found.