UK zoo kills two bears after they escape from enclosure

CNN

Zookeepers shot dead two brown bears that escaped their enclosure and attacked a boar at a zoo in Bedfordshire, England.

The female bears, named Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, had wandered into the neighboring wild boar enclosure Friday after a tree fell and formed a bridge for them at the Zoological Society of London’s Whipsnade Zoo.
The decision was made to euthanize the bears because there was “an immediate threat to human life,” said the zoo’s chief curator, Malcolm Fitzpatrick, in an email to staff.

“As brown bears are strong and dangerous predators, our first priority is safety — we must quickly make decisions informed by our experience and expertise to protect our people, guests and our other animals,” Fitzpatrick said.
Zookeepers were on the scene in minutes, but could not simply tranquilize the bears because they would remain “unpredictable and aggressive” for at least 20 minutes, added Fitzpatrick.

He said he was “devastated,” but that the zookeepers actions “prevented any further loss of life.”