The Frosty the Polar Bear Escape
In 1978, residents of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, got an unexpected visitor in Slater Park.
It was not a stray dog or a wild animal from the surrounding area.
It was an 800-pound polar bear named Frosty.
Frosty lived at the Slater Park Zoo. One Monday morning, someone cut the chains on his enclosure and released him. The bear then wandered through the park and reportedly chased a jogger along the Ten Mile River Greenway.
The unusual escape ended without Frosty being killed. He was found, tranquilized, and returned to the zoo.
But this was only the first of Frosty’s escapes.
Who Was Frosty the Polar Bear?
Frosty was one of the best-known animals at the Slater Park Zoo.
By the 1970s, he was described as a seven-year-old polar bear weighing about 800 pounds. His size made him one of the zoo’s most memorable attractions.
The zoo itself had a long history. It had kept animals since the early 20th century, but its collection became more exotic during the 1950s.
By the 1970s, Frosty was among its major attractions.
The Pawtucket Library also has photographs of Frosty from 1978, confirming his place in the history of Slater Park.
How Frosty Escaped From the Zoo
The 1978 escape was not caused by Frosty breaking through his enclosure.
Someone released him.
According to historical accounts, a young man cut the chains on Frosty’s cage and let the polar bear out. The bear then had a brief period of freedom inside Slater Park.
The situation was dangerous because Frosty was enormous and was moving around a public park.
A polar bear is not an animal that people can safely approach. Even a bear that appears calm can become dangerous when frightened or surrounded.
Frosty Chased a Jogger
One of the strangest details from the 1978 escape was Frosty’s encounter with a jogger.
Reports said the bear chased a jogger on the Ten Mile River Greenway, which runs through Slater Park.
For the jogger, the sight of an 800-pound polar bear running loose would have been terrifying.
The encounter also showed how quickly an animal escape could become a public safety problem.
Frosty was not supposed to be outside his enclosure. There was no safe way for ordinary park visitors to deal with him.
How Police Captured Frosty
Authorities eventually located Frosty.
Instead of killing him, they used a tranquilizer to bring him under control. Once the bear was immobilized, he could be safely returned to the zoo.
That meant the first Frosty escape ended with both people and the bear surviving.
The young man who released Frosty was later arrested and pleaded guilty, according to the historical account.
Frosty Escaped Again in 1979
Frosty’s story did not end with his first escape.
In May 1979, someone released him from the zoo again.
This time, the response was much larger.
More than 60 state troopers and local police officers, including a Pawtucket SWAT team, searched for the bear after an anonymous caller reported that Frosty had been set free.
Witnesses reported that Frosty had encountered several young people near the park’s baseball field. Police later found him near the former Narragansett Race Track property.
This second escape had a tragic ending.
Police decided that Frosty posed a threat to people living nearby and shot him. Contemporary newspaper reporting described the operation as a large police response to the escaped bear.
Frosty was dead.
Why the 1978 Escape Matters
The first Frosty escape is remembered because of how unusual it was.
A polar bear wandering through a Rhode Island city park sounds almost impossible. But Frosty’s escape really happened.
The story also shows the risks involved when dangerous animals escape from captivity.
The 1978 incident ended peacefully because Frosty was tranquilized and returned to his enclosure. The following year’s escape showed how quickly the same situation could become deadly.
It also became part of the larger history of the Slater Park Zoo.
The End of the Slater Park Zoo
Frosty’s story is also connected to the later decline of the zoo.
Slater Park Zoo eventually closed in 1993. Historical accounts describe problems with its animal enclosures and living conditions. Many of its animals were eventually moved to other facilities.
Another famous Slater Park animal was Fanny the elephant.
After the zoo closed, Fanny was moved to the Black Beauty Ranch in Texas, where she had more space and lived out the rest of her life there.
Today, the zoo is gone, but the stories of its animals remain part of Pawtucket’s history.
What Happened to Frosty?
Frosty’s story has two very different endings depending on which escape is being discussed.
During the 1978 escape, Frosty was captured with a tranquilizer and returned to the zoo alive.
During the May 1979 escape, he was shot and killed by police after authorities determined that he was a danger to nearby residents.
That distinction is important because some retellings of Frosty’s story mix details from the two incidents.
Conclusion
The Frosty the polar bear escape remains one of the strangest episodes in Pawtucket’s history.
In 1978, an 800-pound polar bear suddenly found himself outside the gates of Slater Park Zoo. He wandered through the park, reportedly chased a jogger, and was eventually tranquilized and returned safely.
A year later, Frosty escaped again.
That second escape ended tragically.
The story is a reminder that an animal that looks fascinating behind zoo barriers can become a serious danger when it is suddenly loose in a public place. Frosty’s brief freedom became a memorable part of Slater Park’s history—and one of the strangest animal escape stories from Rhode Island.