On Sunday afternoon, a one-year-old bongo calf named Taylor Swift escaped from her enclosure in the Sacramento Zoo, prompting an evacuation. A type of antelope, bongo made its way into the common area where visitors were, which led Zoo staff to tell visitors to evacuate or move into the gift store.
“I’m just glad we’re safe,” zoo visitor Jessica Serota told CBS. “All today I saw enclosures that didn’t seem as secure as I’d imagine them to be, so that was kind of concerning to me.”
Baby Taylor Swift was guided back to her off-exhibit enclosure, where her mother was, within 15 minutes of her escape, according to a Zoo press release. It was determined by the Zoo's associate veterinarian, Dr. Jenessa Gjeltema, that the calf had sustained minor abrasions during the incident, but was otherwise unharmed.
Taylor Swift, the renowned pop singer (and not the bongo) also weighed in on the event, posting about it on her Instagram story and responding with a pun on her Tumblr page:
The Zoo is still unclear as to how the bongo escaped her enclosure. In March, a report by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums found many of the Sacramento Zoo's exhibits to be small and outdated, which could impact the Zoo's accreditation. The Zoo is currently considering re-locating to a larger location elsewhere in the city.
