US: Juvenile Bear Enters Two Schools in Massachusetts, Students Temporarily Locked Down

Worcester (Digital Itla): A juvenile black bear entered two different schools in the city of Worcester, Massachusetts, prompting the administration to take immediate precautionary measures and lock students inside their classrooms. According to officials, the bear was spotted on Thursday hopping backyard walls near Highland Street, after which a nearby high school was temporarily put on lockdown to ensure student safety. During this time, students were confined to their classrooms until the bear left the area. Later, the same bear was spotted about two miles away on the Clark University campus. According to the police, the bear eventually wandered back into the nearby woods on its own, while wildlife officials are continuously monitoring it. Massachusetts Wildlife Biologist Dave Wattles stated that the bear is a juvenile, roughly one-and-a-half years old, who likely recently separated from its mother. According to him, the bear was simply navigating its environment and happened to stumble close to humans.