Editor’s Note: The events in this story took place in 2004 and began receiving renewed interest online this week.
Agents from the department of Fish and Wildlife in Washington found a black bear sleeping off a major buzz, with three dozen empty cans of Rainier beer close by.
“This is a new one on me,” Sgt. Bill Heinck said. “I’ve known them to get into cans, but nothing like this.”
While a drunken bear is a bit unusual, the most unusual part of the story is what the bear left behind.
"He drank the Rainier and wouldn't drink the Busch beer," Mount Baker campground employee Lisa Broxson told NBC News.
“It definitely had a preference.”
Employees confirmed the bear tried one can of Busch beer, but ignored the rest.
Irritated by attempts to get it to leave, the bear climbed a tree and went back to sleep. Workers eventually used donuts, honey, and two more cans of Rainier to trap the animal and take it to another location.
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