Video captures bear walking into Tahoe 7-Eleven store

Maybe it wanted a Klondike Bar.

A large bear opened the door of a 7-Eleven store in Tahoe's Olympic Valley near Palisades resort with his paw this week and casually walked into the store, putting his two front legs up on a freezer at the door.

The furry beast never made it to the ice cream aisle, but the animal showed its manners by triggering the hand sanitizer dispenser with its snout and keeping 6 feet distance.

TikTok user @fmunna83pk took video of the incident, with a woman in the background screaming "get out," and the footage posted on Nov. 14 has received more than 1.2 million hearts and more than 55,000 comments.

Even 7-Eleven, the American chain of convenience stores, hopped into the comments and joked, "he wants a blue raspBEARy Slurpee."

The store at 3041 River Road confirmed the animal has been spotted multiple times in the parking lot but had never been inside. No one was harmed and animal control was called, but the store said the bear ran away before officials arrived.

Bears in the Tahoe Basin are known for their antics, and over the years, the animals have learned they can come down from higher elevations and find food in the towns and neighborhoods. Unsecured dumpsters are a favorite, but sometimes they also break into cars and enter residences and stores.

Another Tahoe bear made headlines in 2020 by entering a Safeway store and feasting in the produce aisle. The same bear was also spotted in a convenience store at a nearby gas station stuffing candy into its mouth.

Peter Tira, an information officer for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, said fall is a time of year when bears are actively seeking food and people should be extra vigilant about not leaving food in cars or out in cabins.

"This is a time of year when Tahoe bears are undergoing a physiological change," Tira explained. "They are in eating overdrive, fattening up for winter and hibernation. It's nature's way of preparing them for winter. We're seeing lots of bears breaking into cars. Folks have to be vigilant on their properties, campsites and cars. It's a time when bears are out actively out foraging aggressively."