A bison escaped through a perimeter fence Thursday, prompting the Salisbury Zoo to close early to visitors.

One of the zoo’s two bison broke part of the interior fencing of its exhibit, then began eating some bamboo located right outside of the interior fence line.

Though the female bison left her exhibit area, she remained contained by the second barrier fence line surrounding the exhibit.

As a precaution, the zoo was evacuated; nobody was injured.

Staff members responded immediately, following all of the Salisbury Zoo's animal escape protocols.

The exhibit gate was opened and the bison walked back into the exhibit calmly.

The zoo's bison pair are trained to respond to a recall device. Both bison responded to the recall and were locked into the back area of the exhibit.

Zoo workers then installed a more durable fence and cleaned out part of the moat system surrounding the front part of the exhibit.

Zoo officials said the Salisbury facility has an extensive safety program and protocols for many different emergency scenarios. The entire staff, along with volunteers, practice the safety protocols monthly in real-time drills. All drills include a post-review session so that any necessary adjustments can be made.