A 52-year-old Asian elephant at Albuquerque’s ABQ BioPark Zoo busted through steel fencing early Sunday morning and went for a stroll along the visitor walkways, snacking on plants and trees before anyone could stop her.
Zoo security found the escapee, Alice, around 7:30 a.m. — an hour and a half before opening – casually munching away without a care in the world.
Staff arrived within 10 minutes, but didn’t need to wrangle her: Alice’s care team simply called her name, and she calmly returned to her enclosure approximately 90 minutes later.
“The BioPark routinely runs drills to practice response to all types of emergencies, and today, the staff executed that protocol perfectly,” reads a news release from the City of Albuquerque.
“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.”
Officials said their response protocol worked “exactly as we intended” and that major changes to operations weren’t necessary, though they acknowledged they’re now working to make the habitat “Alice-proof.”
The zoo opened just 30 minutes behind schedule, delayed only long enough to clean up the trail of half-eaten foliage Alice had left in her wake.
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