St. Louis Zoo Finds Missing Pet Cat Near Antelope Exhibit and Reunites Feline with Her Owner
Saint Louis Zoo employees and Bea the cat's owner worked together to rescue the pet after spotting the feline on the roof of the zoo's antelope enclosure
A pet cat that went missing near the Saint Louis Zoo has been reunited with her owner after zoo employees found the feline on top of the park's antelope house.
Anderson Spencer told KSDK that he and his friend were harness-training his cat Bea during a walk near the zoo’s south entrance in late July when something spooked the cat, and she ran off toward the zoo.
Spencer and his friend were unable to catch up with Bea, and the incident left her owner heartbroken.
“I felt an immense amount of guilt for putting her in a situation where she would be scared enough to run away from me," Spencer recalled to the news outlet.
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After contacting the zoo, Spencer searched Forest Park, where the attraction is located, and left food out for Bea to lure her home.
Spencer later told KSDK that he received a phone call on Aug. 3 from the zoo, telling him that zoo employees had spotted Bea but could not retrieve the feline before she disappeared again.
The following day, Spencer returned to the zoo and was met with a surprise.
"She was on the roof of the antelope enclosure," he told the news outlet. "She had traveled halfway across the zoo from where she was initially lost."
Spencer and a zoo employee retrieved Bea from the antelope enclosure's roof, which took about 15 minutes.
"Once we spotted it, our staff worked with the owner to safely collect it. We're so happy for the two to be reunited!" the Saint Louis Zoo shared in a statement to PEOPLE.
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The cat owner also shared the good news in a Facebook post accompanied by an adorable closeup pic of Bea on the day of her discovery.
"BEA HAS BEEN FOUND!!!" wrote Spencer. "She was at the zoo on the roof of the antelope enclosure! A HUGE thank you to the stl zoo for helping me get her back. We wouldn't have been able to be reunited without them. Words cannot express the amount of joy I am feeling at this moment."
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Facebook users naturally reacted positively to Spencer's post and Bea's return, with one commenter saying: "She was channeling her inner 'big cat.' So glad she's home safe."
Another user wrote: "Unbelievable!! Would love to know her travel itinerary, as would so many...Bea, spill the beans."
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