Employee surprised to find bear instead of customer in Revelstoke pet store

Ashley Peterson was in the back of Revelstoke’s Animal House when she heard the door bell ring that indicated a customer was inside the store.

Instead, she was greeted by a small black bear, June 3.

“It took a second to realize it was a bear just when he looked right at me. I saw the snout. It was a little startling,” she said. “He was small little guy.”

After taking a look around, the bear walked back out of the store.

“I immediately went into the back room since I didn’t want to engage with it. My manager, we brought up the video surveillance and she grabbed a broom and we saw the bear wasn’t in the store anymore,” she said.

She's never been that close to a black bear before, even growing up in Revelstoke, she said.

Other residents have reported bear sightings on social media in other parts of town.

During the pandemic, the pet store had the door open to customers and also with the nicer weather, but they’ll be closing the door more now, Peterson said.

To avoid conflict with black bears, Wildsafe BC recommends that garbage, pets and pet food are not left outside as this can attract them and make them less warry of humans, leading to more human-bear conflicts.

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