Black bear chills out in beer cooler

updated 7:20 p.m. ET Oct. 17, 2009

HAYWARD, Wis. - Shoppers in a Wisconsin grocery store got an unexpected surprise when a 125-pound black bear wandered inside and headed straight for the beer cooler.

The bear stopped Friday night at Marketplace Foods in Hayward, about 140 miles northeast of Minneapolis, sauntering through the automatic doors and heading straight for the liquor department, WEAU-TV reported.

It calmly climbed up 12 feet onto a shelf in the beer cooler where it sat for about an hour while employees helped evacuate customers and summoned wildlife officials.

Officials from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources tranquilized the animal and took it out of the store. Store workers say the bear seemed content in the cooler and did not consume any alcohol.

More from msnbc.com Thanksgiving to see more travelers — but not by air One in four metro areas in recovery mode A Gazan student's dream hangs in the balance Analysis: Where media is wrong on ‘Going Rogue’ At GM, loss looks like gain, at least for now Taliban commander: We're fighting for ‘independence’ On Twitter: Breaking news updates | Weird and wild

MORE FROM WEIRD NEWS

Weird news Section Front

'Geezer Bandit' sought in Calif. bank heists $40,000 left at holy site — for safekeeping Police: Would-be Seattle ninja impaled on fence Rotting deer carcasses in yard raise stink Recession means smaller Christmas tree for SC Cosmic Log: The scent of a dead celeb? Trapped thief drops pants in bungled burglary Drillers seek Scotch lost in Antarctica in 1909 Police: Body parts sold to kebab stand Overdue books returned — 51 years later Weird news Section Front   Add Weird news headlines to your news reader: