Mama bear, cub raid Krispy Kreme delivery van in Alaska, scarf dozens of doughnuts

Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY
Updated ·2 min read
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A mama bear and her cub raid a Krispy Kreme truck in Anchorage, Alaska, devouring dozens of doughnuts.
A mama bear and her cub raid a Krispy Kreme truck in Anchorage, Alaska, devouring dozens of doughnuts.

A family of black bears looking for some bear necessities climbed into the back of a Krispy Kreme Doughnuts delivery van and helped themselves to some sweet treats in Alaska.

Krispy Kreme Alaska shared the "UnBEARlievable Krispy Kreme Alaska moment" on their Facebook page with a picture that showed two bears devouring doughnuts.

"One of our brave delivery drivers managed to capture this incredible moment on camera," read last week's post. "It's a reminder that our donuts are loved by everyone, even the wildlife!"

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Bears devoured doughnut holes, chocolate treats

The Krispy Kreme van was parked outside a store at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, a military facility in Anchorage, when the raid happened on Sept. 12, Candice Sargeant, the general manager of the Krispy Kreme store, told USA TODAY on Monday.

Sargeant said that a mother bear and her cub snuck into the delivery van as it made a regular stop at the store.

"One of our delivery trucks was making deliveries at the base and while bringing up doughnuts, one of the doors was left ajar," Sargeant said. "Once the delivery driver decided to come back around to put the packets in there, he encountered the bears."

Glazed Krispy Kreme doughnuts are pictured.
Glazed Krispy Kreme doughnuts are pictured.

Store manager Shelly Deano told Alaska News Source that she could "hear them breaking open the packages.”

“We were trying to beat on the van but they just kept eating all the doughnuts," Deano said. "They ate 20 packages of the doughnut holes and I believe six packages of the three-pack chocolate doughnuts.”

She then alerted base security, which used loud sirens to chase the bears away and into the woods nearby.

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Coexisting with bears in Alaska

A black bear stands with his mother in the bear enclosure at Tierpark in Berlin, on April 30, 2013.
A black bear stands with his mother in the bear enclosure at Tierpark in Berlin, on April 30, 2013.

All three species of North American bears — black bears, brown bears and polar bears — are found in Alaska.

The Alaska Fish and Game Department recommends alerting authorities by calling 911 if the wild animal poses an immediate threat or using a wildlife encounter form to report non-threatening situations.

What to do if you spot a bear

  • Talk in a low, steady voice and do not scream or otherwise act suddenly.

  • Make noise (yell, bang pans, etc.) to scare the bear.

  • Make yourself appear as large as possible.

  • Travel in groups and pick up small children.

  • If you encounter a bear in your own yard, do not leave the house. Ensure everyone is secure inside before banging pots or making other loud noises to scare the bear away.

  • If you see cubs, be extra cautious. Mother bears are very protective of their young. Do not approach, touch or interact with cubs.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @saman_shafiq7.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alaska Krispy Kreme van raided by doughnut-loving mama bear, cub