Updated on
Summary A bear cub found roaming a Sears department store at Pittsburgh Mills on Saturday night.
The 1-year-old female black bear made her way into a Sears at Pittsburgh Mills before she was trapped in a vestibule and later tranquilized. No one was hurt.An unexpected guest made for quite the unbearable shopping experience at one Pittsburgh-area mall.A bear cub found roaming a Sears department store at Pittsburgh Mills on Saturday night sent shoppers scrambling for the exits just before closing, although no one was hurt and the animal was successfully sedated, according to reports.The black bear, described as a female about a year old and weighing 120 to 125 pounds, was first seen darting around the parking lot, where drivers tried to corral her with their cars.Unable to get into the Frazer Township mall’s main doors, the cub strolled into the Sears entrance around 8:40pm.Employees alerted shoppers to the fuzzy creature, and the entire mall was evacuated as well, said CBS 2 Pittsburgh.The cub didn’t appear aggressive, according to shoppers who had a close encounter with her.Officials devised a bear trap: The creature was chased into a vestibule with automatic doors and the entrance’s power was cut, leaving the animal stuck inside, The Tribune-Review reported.A Pennsylvania Game Commission officer arrived on scene and shot the bear with a tranquilizer. But before it was knocked out, the bear was able to get back inside the store when the doors suddenly opened.She plodded around some more and then fell over, which allowed conservation officials to grab hold of her.The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said she was wearing a collar, which means she may be part of the state Game Commission’s urban research program.It was likely the hunt for food that drew the young bear to the mall, officials said.
