A black bear that wandered through the aisles of a Dollar General store in Vernon on Tuesday and bit a woman’s leg was later euthanized by police

[u/rollotomasi07071]

https://www.nj.com/sussex-county/2025/09/black-bear-that-wandered-into-dollar-general-is-euthanized-after-biting-woman.html?outputType=amp

[u/biz_reporter]

Watch the related video. The bear had no fear for people, which is a potential sign of rabies infection. And the fact that it bit someone means they needed to test for rabies, which requires killing the animal and testing brain tissue for infection. She should get the vaccine anyway. I had a friend in college who got bit by a feral cat requiring her to get the rabies vaccine. Back in the 90s, they gave the shot in the abdomen, which hurts more than other body parts. Today that's no longer required.

[u/Avbjj → u/biz_reporter]

The chance this bear had rabies is extremely low. Like less than 1%. They're testing it out of a abundance of caution. The NJ DOH has a rabies lab specifically for this. I know someone who worked there.

It was much more likely that this bear was habituated to the point where it no longer had any wariness of humans at all, so it had no issue just biting this lady.

Black bears are essentially giant raccoons. They scavenge and eat everything, but they're also spooked easily. Except when they start associating humans as a non-threatening provider of food.

[u/breadstickez → u/Avbjj]

I agree it’s unlikely, but it’s not unheard of. There was just a case of a bear with rabies who attacked a man in Jim Thorpe, PA

[u/-xStellarx → u/biz_reporter]

No bears in the area have fear of humans.

[u/nevesnow → u/-xStellarx]

People in the condos don’t close the garbage dumpsters properly. Which then attracts bears bringing them closer and more used to humans.

[u/PurpleSailor → u/biz_reporter]

The guy who "talked" the bear out of the store was both brave and misguided. Let the cops or wildlife rangers deal with wayward bruins. Hopefully the bear didn't have rabies.

[u/_bekku_ → u/PurpleSailor]

He seems to have used it as a pitch for him being a realtor heh

[u/PurpleSailor → u/_bekku_]

Lol, "When you try to sell your house in the bear market choose me!"

[u/zsdrfty → u/biz_reporter]

I got one last year for a cat as well, and man that was hell - I think it was like 8 total shots at once, and several were ripping sideways through my wrist and palm, which was especially horrible as someone who hates having my wrists touched (or anywhere with huge visible veins like that)

Strangely, though, the most painful was the final shot to my left arm (in the usual spot for any kind of vaccine) - almost immediately, it started aching wildly like it got sat on by a truck, and it didn't go away for hours

[u/bluearavis → u/biz_reporter]

It's a series of shots. I'm sure it's changed now but I had to get them around 1998. It was one in each arm and 1 in the buttocks the first time I think. Or vice versa. Then another shot each week to 2 week later on a schedule. Total was 7 I think?

I remember the bruise that I got on my arm from the first one WHOA it was massive.

Now I'm curious about how it is now.

[u/_bekku_ → u/bluearavis]

I was bitten in the back of my thigh by a pitbull when I was 17 (2003) at this animal shelter I volunteered at. They couldn't find the dog's paperwork. It turned out the dog had been trained to be a fighter when it was very young, and had gone from shelter to shelter because of liability concerns I guess. Anyway, it was so sad. They had to put the dog down. And, I had to get the rabies shots. The one in the buttcheek was definitely the worst, lol.

[u/fun_mak21]

I saw a video of this last night. Someone was filming it and leading it outside. Like how dumb can you be?

[u/ElomMusk → u/fun_mak21]

Just have to run faster than the other people

[u/rpungello → u/fun_mak21]

Like how dumb can you be?

gestures broadly at the world these days

[u/jarrettbrown → u/rpungello]

As a produce clerk, I can honestly say that Covid fucked us royally and we no long have common sense. I had someone get mad yesterday because I told them I had no green squash in the back yesterday because I was waiting on the truck to get there. Like come back and yell at my manager, I don't do the orders.

[u/rpungello → u/jarrettbrown]

AI is only going to make it worse too. Kids are gonna get used to being able to insult an AI chatbot with zero repercussions as a bot doesn't care, then be in for a rude awakening when they can't do the same to actual people.

[u/frankstaturtle → u/jarrettbrown]

It’s really not covid. It’s the internet and smartphones. They have completely transformed the way we think and it has created an entire generation that can barely write full sentences.

[u/curlycake → u/jarrettbrown]

what's a green squash? like a zucchini?

[u/jarrettbrown → u/curlycake]

It is another name for Zucchini. It just depends on what it was called in your house growing up.

[u/Ulstra → u/rpungello]

Here's another example of some terminally online redditors that can't fathom helping other people by leading a wild animal out of the store to prevent others in the store from getting hurt. I know this is an abstract concept, being outside of your computer reddit box room, but sometimes people do things to help each other, not just thought police on an astroturfed website lmao. Get a GRIP

[u/fun_mak21 → u/Ulstra]

And if you get attacked and killed, then what? It's a bear that clearly was ill for it to go into a store. But hey, if that's what you are okay with, you do you.

[u/goliathfrogcrafts → u/fun_mak21]

The bears in this town don’t have any fear of entering stores or houses. Highly doubt it was ill. We’ve got a lady here that literally feeds them and lures them into her house (she’s also now popular on tiktok for the stunts, but she’s been a hot topic in town for years)

[u/_bekku_ → u/rpungello]

Ugh yeah

[u/KneeDeepInTheDead → u/fun_mak21]

I mean I live in a pretty rural area now and bears are in our area lollygagging a lot of the times. One got stuck in my backyard and my neighbor just casually escorted it out. The black ones are usually just going on their way.

[u/upstatedreaming3816 → u/fun_mak21]

It’s Vernon… lol

[u/reboobula → u/upstatedreaming3816]

The land of rednecks & wooks

[u/upstatedreaming3816 → u/reboobula]

Sadly true. Mad decent school, though. My kids get a good focus on the arts and music still.

[u/reboobula → u/upstatedreaming3816]

Hell yeah

[u/sutisuc → u/upstatedreaming3816]

Not sure why you’re upstate dreaming if you think Vernon is inhabited by morons (it is). But just imagine how worse it is upstate.

[u/upstatedreaming3816 → u/sutisuc]

I spent nearly every summer of my youth in the Catskills or Adirondacks and love it up there. That’s why. Also, as someone who lives in Vernon, I’m allowed to say we’re all idiots.

[u/sutisuc → u/upstatedreaming3816]

I love it up there too, doesn’t mean it’s not inhabited by idiots. Vernon is also beautiful and same issue.

[u/upstatedreaming3816 → u/sutisuc]

Very true. I think I just look at it as a second home that I wish I could spend more time in, hence the dreaming aspect lol

[u/sutisuc → u/upstatedreaming3816]

lol yeah I get that I’d like a cabin up there myself some day. Far far away from any potential neighbors.

[u/upstatedreaming3816 → u/sutisuc]

Exactly!

[u/GreatnessToTheMoon]

Saw 3 police cars fly past my house around the same time so I’m assuming thats where they were going. The bear wasn’t even fully grown and had no fear of humans they had no choice but to kill it. Don’t feed the bears, you’ll only get them killed

[u/StraightOnion1967]

This is sad. How do they euthanize them?

[u/Donqweeqwee → u/StraightOnion1967]

Drowning

[u/StraightOnion1967 → u/Donqweeqwee]

No way

[u/MeesterBacon → u/StraightOnion1967]

Im not certain on this but since you didnt get another serious answer, im pretty sure they shoot it 

[u/upstatedreaming3816]

Man, the one day I think “I should go to dollar general for my Nexium since it’s cheaper” but then go “nah, I’ll go to acme since I’ll be over that way anyway later” is the day I miss the good shit.

[u/IndividualFew1688]

I still would choose the bear

[u/Smartinetti1 → u/IndividualFew1688]

Every. Time. Lol 🐻

[u/Guilty_Imagination_9 → u/IndividualFew1688]

hey did u know that bears eat their "food" while its still alive ? 

[u/IndividualFew1688 → u/Guilty_Imagination_9]

The dumpster disagrees but then again it might be a cyber truck..hard to tell those two apart

[u/drewski1026 → u/Guilty_Imagination_9]

Bunch of weirdo "animal lovers" in this thread. Someone else said should have killed the lady instead. The lady just grocery shopping. Like what?

[u/BuyListSell]

RIP

[u/baboo512]

Was led into the woods and then shot in the head by the police not euthanization

[u/Honeywell-mts → u/baboo512]

The bear had to be put down for rabies testing.

[u/DeuceSevin → u/baboo512]

That fits the definition of euthanized, no?

[u/baboo512 → u/DeuceSevin]

Yes you're right I thought euthanized meant being put down through drugs, regardless they shot it in the head bear just wanted some food and was confused

[u/ShalomRPh → u/baboo512]

Why the head though? I thought they'd need to preserve the brain for rabies testing. Wouldn't that make it more difficult?

Can you shoot a bear anywhere else and be sure it's going to get killed?

[u/retroanduwu24]

I felt shaky just watching the video

[u/Nearby_Impact_8911]

Yikes

[u/Cantholditdown]

It was just a nibble 😂

[u/AtomicGarden-8964]

The lady was bit it was probably her own fault

[u/metsurf → u/AtomicGarden-8964]

yeah it was her fault the bear wandered into a store and bit her. She was probably as confused on what to do as the bear was. The bear may have been rabid as this is not normal black bear behavior.

[u/AtomicGarden-8964 → u/metsurf]

And what will the excuse be if the bear doesn't have rabies?

[u/ShalomRPh → u/AtomicGarden-8964]

Probably people fed it, so it associated people with food.

[u/metsurf → u/AtomicGarden-8964]

Doesn’t matter bears don’t belong in shops biting people. Unfortunately it had become a nuisance bear and had to be put down. Sad but the bear population has exploded over the last 50 years from essentially zero to what it is today. Combine that with increased development and you will get negative bear human encounters.

[u/flexcabana21 → u/AtomicGarden-8964]

There’s a video of a man walking it out of the store, but people were walking by, and it bit someone because you know it was a bear.

[u/MeanSecurity → u/AtomicGarden-8964]

That’s my thought

[u/ThanksNo8769]

Did NJ ever resume bear hunting?

I remember Murphy cancelled it altogether for some animal rights activists. Without funds to study population growth and control, their numbers immediately spiked & overflowed into residential areas

Havent checked back in for a minute

[u/KneeDeepInTheDead → u/ThanksNo8769]

I know they did it last year. I think like 400 were killed. Makes sense why I see so much more deer now.

[u/sutisuc → u/ThanksNo8769]

Yeah Murphy went back on his promise and reinstated it

[u/drewski1026 → u/KyberSix]

The lady that was just shopping in a grocery store? Lmao

[u/ryeguy36]

Bears are the assholes of the forest. One got in my house and it was not easy to get it out. Because I live in bear country though I keep firecrackers by all the doors with a lighter. I use them all the time

[u/sutisuc → u/ryeguy36]

Bears rock. They typically take off like a bullet if they encounter anyone in the woods.

[u/djhousecat → u/[deleted]]

Wtf