It takes a lot of courage to rob a military base.
Or, at the very least, a very large sweet tooth.
Either way, when military police on an Alaska base were called – what they found at the Krispy Kreme doughnut van stopped them in their tracks: a mama bear and her cub had raided the van and were helping themself to a snack.
The JMM Express store manager Shelly Deano said the driver had left the back doors open when he had stopped by for a delivery.
The store, which is on the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, is used to seeing bears, but this was a new one.
Deano said she tried to shoo the bears away, but they weren’t interested. They wanted the sugary treats.
“I was beating on the van and they’re not moving. I could hear them breaking open the packages and everything,” she said.
I was like, ‘They don’t even care.'”
After base security was called, sirens were set off that were meant to scare the bears into leaving, but it didn’t work, she said.
When the bears wouldn’t leave, base security was called and sounded sirens meant to scare away the bears, she said. It didn’t work.
A mama bear and her cub help themselves to some doughnuts on an Alaska military base. Photo courtesy of Shelly Deano
“They ate 20 packages of the doughnut holes and I believe six packages of the three-pack chocolate doughnuts,” Deano said.
The bears eventually came out and wandered in front of the convenience store and gas station a bit before heading into the woods.
Deano said they are used to seeing bears, but this was a new experience. The driver, she said, now closes his doors when he comes into the store.
“We’re cautious when we come in, when we leave. When we take out garbage, we do it in pairs, especially if it’s dark,” she said.
Capt. Lexi Smith, a spokesperson at the base, said authorities were “aware of this and other wildlife situations throughout the past several months.”
A bear wanders next to a convenience store on an Alaska military base. Photo courtesy of Shelly Deano
“We urge the public to use caution to ensure you are protecting our wildlife and yourselves. Wildlife may be our neighbor, but they should not be attracted to our human food sources,” she said.
The humor of the situation wasn’t lost on the doughnut company, though.
“UnBEARlievable Krispy Kreme ALASKA Moment!” Krispy Kreme Alaska wrote on its Facebook page, alongside a photo of the bears inside the van. “This morning, our Krispy Kreme Alaska Delivery van had some unexpected visitors – a family of black bears couldn’t resist the sweet temptation of Krispy Kreme Donuts!”
“One of our brave delivery drivers managed to capture this incredible moment on camera. It’s a reminder that our donuts are loved by everyone, even the wildlife!” the post added. “At Krispy Kreme Alaska, we’re all about spreading joy and sweetness. Have you ever seen anything as cute as these donut-loving bears?”
Watch the delightful ‘robbery’ below!
