A small, black bear cub was caught running through a Rite Aid in Ashland, Ore., and has been sent to an animal center, with plans to be returned to the wild in 2015.

Black Bear Cub Runs Through Rite Aid

The female cub, estimated to be about a few months old, was spotted wandering around the Rite Aid on Sunday night, after reportedly wandering into a hotel across the street. While many customers broke out their cameras to take photos of the cute cub, authorities contacted the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW). There were no sightings of the mother nearby.

Authorities initially feared that the cub would not be able to return to the wild due to its interactions with humans, but ODFW took the cub to PAWS, where veterinarians think that rehabilitation is possible.

The black bear cub is currently in Lynnwood, Wash., a center specializing in rehabilitating wildlife, where she is being treated by veterinarians to assess her health. The ODFW issued a press release saying that the cub appeared to be in good condition, though a bit underweight at 13 pounds. PAWS reportedly described the cub’s condition as “guarded to good.”

Using a method that simulates rehabilitation into the wild without normalizing contact with humans, PAWS plans to re-introduce the black bear into the wild in the spring of 2015.

“Bears diets [are] filled with natural foods they would normally forage for in the wild. Rehabilitated bears maintain their natural fear of humans and don’t become habituated to people,” said PAWS wildlife director Jennifer Convy.

ODFW announced their intentions to re-introduce the black bear to the wild in spring of 2015.

Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.