A brown bear attacked at the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage by another bear last month has been transferred to a new facility, according to zoo staff and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
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On June 13, the bears, named Izzy and Kitty, engaged in what the zoo described as an “abrupt altercation.” Footage of the incident circulated widely on social media, showing Izzy, a large male bear, gnawing on Kitty’s back. Kitty, a female, sustained “moderate” injuries but made a full recovery, according to the statement.
It was in her best interest to transfer her to a new facility, said Stephanie Samaniego, a wildlife biologist with ADFG in Juneau.
“The Alaska Zoo only had a small area that they could keep the female brown bear in that would be away from the other two brown bears, but they could still smell and interact through bars,” she said. “Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center was able to set up an enclosure that she’s completely by herself.”
Kitty, renamed Taiga by zoo staff, came to the Alaska Zoo last year after state officials removed dozens of animals from a facility in Haines amid an animal abuse investigation. She shared an enclosure with Izzy and a third resident female brown bear, named Oreo, who came to the zoo as orphans more than a decade ago.
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The Alaska Zoo did not respond to an interview request. Kitty is now at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center near Portage, about 45 minutes south of Anchorage. But the zoo wrote on social media that it might not be her permanent home. Officials say she will be the only bear in her enclosure at the center.
Samaniego said Kitty will likely need to be a solitary animal from here on out.
“It would be a risk to continue to try to incorporate her. We did want to give it a shot, and it went well, all things considered, honestly. But because that did happen, we just don’t want to put that at risk anymore,” Samaniego said.
Both bears involved in the altercation were sedated and received medical care, according to ADFG. The animal’s injuries aren’t expected to require extended medical care or health complications.
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