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Bear escapes habitat at Texas zoo; no one hurt
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BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) — A 220-pound black bear who managed to climb out of a South Texas zoo exhibit took a dip in a pond with some harbor seals before staffers tranquilized him.No one was hurt in the incident Monday at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville. Zoo spokeswoman Cynthia Galvan said Tuesday that the male bear, named Oscar, is staying in his sleeping quarters, out of public view, until repairs are made to cracks in the concrete wall of the bear grotto.Oscar apparently made his way out by digging his claws into cracks in the grotto’s concrete wall, Galvan said.“A zoo visitor witnessed that he was trying to climb the wall, went to report it to one of the zoo employees,” Galvan said.When staff arrived, Oscar was already out. “He meandered his way through the amphitheater and into the harbor seals’ pool for a dip,” Galvan said.Staff members contained him within 15 minutes at the pool, Galvan said.