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Bear Walks Into Shopping Mall, Eats a Peach and Leaves a Mess
Forget Black Friday sales. One Alaskan shopper decided to skip the queues, stroll straight through the automatic doors and help himself to the groceries. There was just one small problem. He was a bear.
In July 2026, a young black bear wandered into the Exchange shopping mall at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, proving that even wildlife occasionally fancies a spot of retail therapy.
The bear entered the building at around 9am on a Sunday, courtesy of the automatic sliding doors. No membership card, no shopping trolley and, presumably, no intention of paying.
The furry customer made his way into the on-base grocery store, where he found exactly what he was looking for: a peach.
He ate it, naturally. Five-star dining this was not, but the price was certainly right.
Unfortunately, the bear's shopping trip came with an unexpected bonus for the cleaning staff. After enjoying his fruit, he left some droppings in the hallway before continuing his adventure.
Talk about leaving a review of the store.
Meanwhile, Kory Godbout, a barber working in the same building, was waiting for his first customer when the bear strolled into the barbershop.
His colleague spotted the unexpected visitor and shouted, "Bear!"
Godbout looked up from his phone, saw the animal wandering towards him and did what any sensible person might do. He and his coworkers ran into a break room and shut the door.
Because nothing says a relaxing Sunday at work quite like hiding from a bear before your morning coffee.
The animal later returned towards the barbershop, prompting staff to take cover again. Eventually, wildlife officers arrived and guided the bear away from the building towards Ship Creek and the surrounding woods.
Thankfully, nobody was injured, including the bear.
Base officials explained that the encounter was accidental. The bear had triggered the automatic doors while passing by, rather than deliberately planning a raid on the local supermarket.
So there you have it. A bear walked into a shopping mall, ate a peach, left a mess and went home without being arrested.
Somewhere, a supermarket manager is probably wondering why they bother putting up signs asking customers not to eat the merchandise.
And the bear? He got his fruit for free. Just don't ask him for a receipt.
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