{"id":155499,"date":"2025-09-19T19:13:17","date_gmt":"2025-09-19T19:13:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/155499\/"},"modified":"2025-09-19T19:13:17","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T19:13:17","slug":"bear-wanders-into-dollar-general-store-later-euthanized-after-biting-woman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/155499\/","title":{"rendered":"Bear wanders into Dollar General store, later euthanized after biting woman"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wildlife officials euthanized a black bear this week after the animal wandered into a Dollar General<\/a> in northern New Jersey and bit a woman.<\/p>\n

Wildlife officials put the black bear down after it entered the business in Sussex County, about an hour drive northwest<\/a>, of New York City, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection<\/a> Fish and Wildlife confirmed.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A curious juvenile black bear is seen on a trail at Fakahatchee Strand on June 1, 2023. Photographed with a 600mm lens with a 1.4 converter.<\/p>\n

Officials said the 175-pound sow entered a the discount store in Vernon Township about 3:45 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Sept. 16 and bit a woman’s leg, according to the NJDEP. The woman was taken to a hospital for treatment.<\/p>\n

Her condition was not immediately known on Wednesday, Sept. 17.<\/p>\n

Prior to the sighting at the store, police reported the same bear was seen on the side of Route 94, “behaving erratically and moving in and out of traffic.”<\/p>\n

Bear attacks hiker in Yellowstone: Incident marks first such encounter in years<\/a><\/p>\n

Video shows bear wander through Dollar General<\/p>\n

Footage of the bear<\/a>\u00a0wandering through the store circulating on social media shows the bear slowly walk up an aisle, then turn onto another aisle near refrigerated products.<\/p>\n

One video, posted on Instagram by The Garden State<\/a> on Tuesday, Sept. 16, captured the incident.<\/p>\n

Police fired rubber bullets at the bear<\/p>\n

After the animal was led out of the store, Vernon police fired rubber bullets at the bear, causing it to flee into the woods, the NJDEP said.<\/p>\n

It was later euthanized, the NJDEP reported.<\/p>\n

Wildlife personnel collected the bear’s remains for rabies testing, which will take about three to five days.<\/p>\n

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bear who walked around NJ Dollar General euthanized after biting woman<\/a><\/p>\n