..... The incident occurred at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, where a Krispy Kreme van had pulled up outside a convenience store during its regular delivery route.

According to Shelly Deano, the store manager for Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson JMM Express, it was common for the driver to leave the van doors open when stopping at the store. However, this time, a sow and her cub that often loitered nearby decided to take advantage of the situation. The bears nonchalantly sauntered inside the van, where they proceeded to indulge in the delicious pastries for approximately 20 minutes on Tuesday morning.

Deano, a witness to the extraordinary event, described the bears chomping on doughnut holes and various other pastries, even ignoring the banging on the side of the van intended to shoo them away. "I was beating on the van and they're not moving. I could hear them breaking open the packages and everything," she exclaimed. "I was like, 'They don't even care.'"

As the bears showed no signs of leaving, base security was called to the scene. They attempted to scare away the bears by sounding sirens, but the bears remained unfazed. Eventually, the bears emerged from the van and wandered in front of the convenience store and gas station before disappearing into the woods. Deano mentioned that while it was not uncommon to spot bears on the military base or around the store, nothing of this magnitude had occurred before.

In light of the incident, the delivery driver has now learned to close his doors when stopping at the shop. Deano emphasized the caution exercised by the store's staff, stating, "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."

Capt. Lexi Smith, a spokesperson at the base, acknowledged the incident and reminded the public to exercise caution when encountering wildlife to protect both the animals and themselves. "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," Smith said.

The bear raid on the Krispy Kreme van at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson garnered attention beyond the military base. Candice Sargeant, a local Krispy Kreme general manager, expressed her surprise upon learning about the brazen bear bandits. ..... With a lighthearted tone, Sargeant highlighted the need to take precautions to prevent future encounters between bears and their beloved doughnuts.

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AP) - Two bears on an Alaska military base raided a Krispy Kreme doughnut van that was stopped outside a convenience store during its delivery route.

The driver usually left his doors open when he stopped at the store but this time a sow and one of her cubs that loiter nearby sauntered inside, where they stayed for probably 20 minutes Tuesday morning, said Shelly Deano, the store manager for Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson JMM Express. The bears chomped on doughnut holes and other pastries, ignoring the banging on the side of the van that was aimed at shooing them away, Deano said.

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When the bears couldn't be roused, base security was called and sounded sirens meant to scare away the bears, she said.

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It's not unusual to see bears on base or around the store but nothing like this has happened before, Deano said, adding that the delivery driver now closes his doors when he stops at the shop.

"We're cautious when we come in, when we leave. ..... 

Capt. Lexi Smith, a spokesperson at the base, said authorities on base "are aware of this and other wildlife situations throughout the past several months."

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The bears broke into the Krispy Kreme packages for about 20 minutes before AK base security sounded sirens to scare them away.

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The Alaska Department of Fish and Game advises people to keep food away from bears inside secure buildings or in bear-proof containers.

"Keeping bears away from human food is perhaps the most important thing we can do to prevent conflicts and confrontations between bears and people," the department says.

Bears have been known to seek out doughnuts before.

Last year, a bear and her cub removed the screen of an open window to get into a California home - and then munched on a box of doughnuts. In 2017, a bear in Colorado caught a whiff of the treats from a doughnut delivery driver's vehicle and tried to break into the car.