Bear cub sniffs its way into school cafeteria, Colorado cops say. See the hungry cub
A hungry bear cub sniffed its way right into a middle school’s cafeteria in Colorado, deputies said.
Students at the school had to move into other buildings while police and wildlife officers wrangled the cub, the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office said in a Sept. 23 post on Facebook.
“While some kids are tough to get out of bed and going on Monday mornings, that was not the case for this little bear,” the sheriff’s office said. “Sometime early Monday morning, a small black bear cub found its way into the Aspen School District Middle School and ended up sniffing its way into the school’s cafeteria.”
School starts at 8 a.m. at all schools in the district, including K-12, according to the website. Photos show the cub roaming along a window ledge against a mountain backdrop.
“There is a bear cub in the AMS cafeteria,” the Aspen School District said on Facebook at about 8:30 a.m. along with a photo of the cub. “Students and staff are safe inside the high school gym.”
Some people joked about a casual bear encounter being just a normal day in Colorado.
“He’s just trying to get an education,” another person joked.
“The cub was relocated and all students were back to their regular Monday morning activities by 9:30,” the sheriff’s office said.
Several people commented thanking authorities for relocating and protecting both the cub and the students.
“Thank y’all for keeping the bears wild and relocating this little guy,” someone said.
The sheriff’s office reminded the public to be mindful of open doors and windows as bears ramp up their search for food as they bulk up for winter hibernation.
“Please remember to secure all doors and windows overnight or when you are not home,” the sheriff’s office said.
The school used the encounter as a learning opportunity, the Aspen School District said on Facebook.
“After a bear cub found his way into the AMS cafeteria this morning and then was removed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the event turned into (a) real-world math opportunity,” the district said, labeling it “bear math.” “AMS students tried to figure out the size of the bear based on the dimensions of the trash/recycling cans.”
Photos show students crowding around the trash and recycling cans and comparing photos of the bear from the school’s surveillance cameras with the receptacles in the hallway with the cub.
Someone commented that the teachers had done a great job using the encounter in class.
“You might have created some zoologists, some doctors, and some ecologists,” they said. “Science, math, ecology, and critical thinking!!!”
This story was originally published September 24, 2024 at 11:46 AM with the headline "Bear cub sniffs its way into school cafeteria, Colorado cops say. See the hungry cub."
