Overview

• El Dorado County deputies found a large black bear behind the counter at Camp Richardson’s Ice Cream Shop early Sunday and coaxed it outside.
• The sheriff’s office said the animal fixated on strawberry ice cream, left barely any damage, and required minimal cleanup.
• Photos from the encounter were posted Tuesday on the agency’s social media, which said deputies "could barely believe their eyes."
• The break-in follows other food raids in South Lake Tahoe, including a May case where a 4-year-old bear took three gallons of ice cream.
• Wildlife officials report increasingly bold bear behavior, note recent management actions such as the euthanasia of repeat offender No. 717, and urge people to secure trash, lock doors and windows, and keep food out of cars.