Shattered glass repaired, Minnesota Zoo reopens bear exhibit

A dozen days after a Minnesota Zoo grizzly bear repeatedly bashed a glass pane with a rock, obliterating it, the suspect and his two pals are back before their adoring fans.

Zoo staff in Apple Valley have temporarily mended the glass from the damage wrought on July 6. A permanent fix will be made in the fall, officials said Saturday, after the zoo's peak season.

One of the three bears — suspicion has fallen on the mischievous Kenai — picked up a basketball-sized rock with both front paws and repeatedly slammed the rock into the pane of glass, shattering the barrier as startled patrons watched from the other side.

The five-layer pane stayed in place like an auto's windshield, and no creatures on either side of the glass were harmed. The exhibit was immediately closed.

Subsequent news coverage in Minnesota circled the globe and "became an Internet sensation," a statement issued Saturday by the zoo noted. "Since the incident, the zoo has tracked nearly 1.3 billion unique visitors to websites carrying the bear story."

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482