The last thing a 90-year-old woman expected to come face-to-face with inside a Dollar General was a 175-pound black bear. However, that's exactly what happened in one store in New Jersey.
According to the Vernon Township Police Department, the animal wandered into the store on September 16. The animal had been spotted in the area. Police arrived and convinced the bear to leave. However, a few hours later, a Dollar General employee called 911. The animal had returned and entered the store itself.
A nearby business owner also called first responders. He said the black bear attacked his dog and tried to maul two employees. But they managed to run away and seek refuge in a building.
Black Bear In Dollar General
"One-hundred-twenty percent, there was something wrong with this bear," added Aaron Glading.
A Dollar General employee also told police that the black bear "made contact" with a 90-year-old woman. Exactly what that means I'm unsure, but first responders ended up taking the woman to the hospital.
However, according to Christine Flohr, who worked at a nearby cannabis shop, the 90-year-old wasn't too shaken up. In fact, she was still shopping as the animal went through the store.
"I told her, 'There's a bear in the store.' She said, 'I know, he swiped at me,' " Flohr told the outlet.
Things could have ended up being a lot worse. But a brave customer ended up leading the bear out of the Dollar General into the parking lot. That's when authorities came to save the day. Unfortunately for the black bear, New Jersey Fish and Wildlife euthanized the creature because it was threat to safety.
They will be testing the animal for rabies to see if the black bear had the disease.
"This bear was sick in some manner," he added. "He was just like a really hung-over bear, trying to make it through the day."
