MINOT, N.D. (AP) _ Two Alaskan brown bears and a grizzly that were among animals evacuated from Roosevelt Park Zoo in Minot during historic Souris River flooding in the summer of 2011 have returned home.
The bears spent the past 1 1/2 years at the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory in St. Paul, Minn. The transfer home took about 16 hours and was done with the help of Terry Lincoln, director of Dakota Zoo in Bismarck.
Roosevelt Park Zoo Director David Merritt says the return of the bears is ``a shot in the arm for our zoo staff'' that has been working to restore the zoo grounds after the flooding. He expects most zoo exhibits to be open this summer. Some evacuated animals have yet to return, including giraffes, penguins and otters.