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OtherBlack bear enters Alaska base commissary, picks a peach and leaves
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A young black bear wandered into the Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson (JBER) Exchange commissary in Alaska on July 9, 2026, at 9:00 am, drawn by the scent of fruit. The bear selected a peach, ate it, and exited without incident. Base conservation officers arrived and guided the bear toward Ship Creek and into the woods. The base's wildlife program manager noted the bear was foraging non-aggressively. The incident follows a series of bear encounters on the base, including two soldiers injured during a land navigation exercise months earlier and a fatal bear attack in 2022. The base had recently replaced dumpsters with bear-resistant bins, reducing wildlife calls. However, seven bears have been euthanized on JBER this year due to habituation to humans. The story was first reported by Task & Purpose and confirmed by base spokesperson Maria Galvez.
Source report
There is nothing like that sweet, juicy first bite of a ripe peach on a summer day — even for bears.
The luscious fruit’s lure was seemingly so overpowering for one young black bear this week that it abandoned the wilderness and ventured through the sliding doors of an Alaskan commissary.
The Incident
In a video widely circulated on social media, the hungry bear sauntered around the front section of the Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson’s Exchange (JBER) shopping mall at 9:00 a.m. before settling on a peach, savoring its ambrosial succulence, and promptly leaving the building.
Maria Galvez, a spokesperson for the 673rd Air Base Wing, confirmed the unconventional shopper’s excursion, which was first reported by Task & Purpose. She said that “Conservation Law Enforcement officers were notified and arrived on scene to shoo the bear towards Ship Creek and deeper into the wood line.”
According to the post’s wildlife program manager, the bear was simply foraging in a non-aggressive manner.
Bear Management at JBER
Galvez said the base replaced all dumpsters with bear-resistant variants in May and has since had fewer calls about wild animals.
Still, according to Conservation Law Enforcement Officer Marshall Hickman, seven bears had to be euthanized on JBER so far this year when they became habituated to human activity and thus posed a threat.
Recent Bear Encounters
The video comes just months after two soldiers were injured by a bear during a land navigation exercise in a remote training area on the post.
A day after that incident, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said the encounter seemed “to be a defensive attack by a bear recently emerged from a den.”
In 2022, a soldier was attacked by a bear near the same base and subsequently died from his injuries.
About the Author
Eve Sampson is a reporter and former Army officer. She has covered conflict across the world, writing for The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Associated Press.
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Black Bear Enters Alaska Military Base Commissary, Steals a Peach