Bear in US Supermarket: Animal Euthanasia After Attack.
A black bear in New Jersey had to be euthanized after wandering into a store and attacking a customer. The incident occurred in Vernon, Sussex County.
According to eyewitnesses, the approximately 70-kilogram (150-pound) female bear wandered into a Dollar General store during the day and behaved extremely aggressively. The animal attacked people and pets. One customer, Sean Clarkin, managed to film the incident on his phone. He said he tried to distract the bear and lead it out of the store.
“There were people in the store. I decided it would be better to let it follow me than attack anyone,” Clarkin said.
Attack and Aftermath
During the incident, the woman sustained bites and was hospitalized. Witnesses claim the bear appeared ill and wandered along Highway 94 for several hours, frightening residents.
Police attempted to drive the animal away with rubber bullets, but it soon returned and began threatening people again. In one yard, the bear even attacked a German Shepherd named Lucky. The dog’s owner and his friends managed to distract the predator and save his pet.
How it all ended
Ultimately, the police were forced to shoot the bear. According to local resident Christina Flor, she watched the incident from her car:
“I saw the police fire a shot. My heart sank, I started crying. I even asked, ‘Was that a tranquilizer?’ but the officer said they had to shoot to kill.”
Specialists from the Department of Fish and Wildlife are currently testing the animal’s remains for rabies. The test results will be available in the coming days.
New Jersey authorities have issued a reminder that approaching bears is strictly prohibited. If a meeting is unavoidable, you should slowly back away and try to look bigger by waving your arms and making loud sounds.
