Baby bear found in Oregon drug store headed to rehab

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Thursday, October 23, 2014
Bear cub wanders into Oregon Rite Aid
A Rite Aid customer in Ashland, Ore took video of a one-month-old, 13-pound female bear cub wandering around the store Sunday afternoon.

ASHLAND, OR -- A black bear cub found wandering the aisles of an Oregon drugstore will be raised with the goal of releasing him into the wild next year.

Police scooped the cub into a shopping basket Sunday at the Rite-Aid store in Ashland while shoppers took video on their smartphones.

Tap/click here to see video of the bear in the store.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said Wednesday the bear has been taken to the PAWS Wildlife Center in Lynnwood, Washington, for rehabilitation.

Director Jennifer Convy says rehabilitation staff care for bears with hands-off methods designed to mimic conditions in the wild, and they maintain an animal's fear of people.

The department says they hope to release the bear somewhere in southern Oregon next spring.