On September 29, 2025<\/b>, a black bear<\/b> ran through a Fry\u2019s in Oro Valley, Arizona<\/b>, prompting an evacuation. If this happens where you shop, what you do in the first 10 seconds<\/b> can keep you and the animal safe.<\/p>\nAZGFD warns after the 9\/29 Fry\u2019s incident as bears enter hyperphagia<\/h2>\n
Arizona Game & Fish says fall is when bears seek up to 20,000 calories a day<\/b>, increasing odds of surprise encounters near stores and parking lots. After the 9\/29<\/b> grocery incident, officials stress: don\u2019t run<\/b>, create distance<\/b>, and let the bear exit<\/b> while staff clear aisles.<\/p>\nWhy parents exhale while 6:30 a.m. shoppers take the hit<\/h2>\n
Early morning openings, like the ~6:30 a.m.<\/b> Oro Valley sighting overlap with peak wildlife movement. Families arriving later face fewer encounters, while workers and dawn shoppers should expect heightened activity near doors and produce<\/b> where scents pool.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are afraid of people, and they want to leave people,\u201d \u2014 Mark Freiberg, Arizona Game and Fish Department.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Use these moves now so your store and your family stay safe. Post the plan in break rooms and share it with frequent shoppers who open the store.<\/p>\nStore managers and shoppers: lock down steps before October 10<\/h2>\n
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\n Step<\/th>\n Detail<\/th>\n Deadline<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \n 1<\/td>\n Do not run<\/b>; speak loudly, wave arms, and back away slowly<\/b> to give the bear a clear exit path<\/td>\n Immediate<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 2<\/td>\n Alert staff to clear aisles<\/b> and hold automatic doors open to funnel the bear outside<\/td>\n Within 1 minute<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 3<\/td>\n Call 911<\/b> and the AZGFD hotline (623-236-7201)<\/b> to guide response and reporting<\/td>\n Within 2 minutes<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 4<\/td>\n After the bear leaves, secure attractants: trash, samples, produce bins<\/b>; document the incident for officials<\/td>\n By October 10<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n