Black Bear Spotted in Rite Aid May Return to Wild

— -- The 13-pound black bear cub who turned heads Sunday when she was spotted walking the aisles of an Oregon Rite Aid store has been moved to a rehabilitation center with the hope she will one day return to the wild.

The cub was picked up by Oregon wildlife officials and police Sunday evening after shocked shoppers at a Rite Aid store in Ashland, Ore., saw it walking around the store right next to them.

The confused cub was first taken to a state wildlife lab and then transferred Tuesday to PAWS Wildlife Center, an animal shelter in Lynnwood, Washington that specializes in, “habilitating injured and orphaned wildlife,” according to its website.

Wildlife officials described the bear’s condition as “guarded to good” in a statement released yesterday.

After her time at PAWS, officials say they hope to release the cub back into the wild in spring 2015.

Officials say they do not know what happened to the bear’s mother.