10/23/2014 AT 12:35 PM EDT
A black bear cub found wandering the aisles of an Oregon drugstore will be raised with the goal of releasing him into the wild next year.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said Wednesday the bear has been taken to the PAWS Wildlife Center in Lynnwood, Washington, for rehabilitation.
Director Jennifer Convy says rehabilitation staff care for bears with hands-off methods designed to mimic conditions in the wild, and they maintain an animal’s fear of people.
Police scooped the cub into a shopping basket Sunday at the Rite-Aid store in Ashland while shoppers took video on their smartphones.
The department says they hope to release the bear somewhere in southern Oregon next spring.
