Black Bear Spotted Near Jacksonville Elementary School In Baltimore Co.
JACKSONVILLE, Md. (WJZ)—Police are closely monitoring a black bear, spotted wandering near homes and a school in Baltimore County.
Mike Hellgren has the latest on this potentially dangerous situation.
Jacksonville Elementary School was put on lock down, and a teacher and students saw the bear on campus--but they were able to safely get inside and the bear went away.
This black bear was probably looking for food and traveled a long way for it--to Jacksonville Elementary School in Baltimore County, just as 300 students and parents had gathered for the fifth grade graduation.
"Three of them screamed and then they just stared because this is not something you see in Baltimore County. And then she was like, 'get in the classroom now,'" said Deborah Glinowiecki, principal Jacksonville Elementary.
"At that time we did a complete lockdown. No one went out from there. But never saw the bear again," Glinowiecki said.
The bear likely came from western Maryland or maybe even southern Pennsylvania. But it's a rare sight--at least for this principal.
"Many, many years I've been in this system and I have never encountered a black bear before.This is one in a million for me," Glinowiecki said.
Last week, a couple saw a two-year-old male bear near Manchester in Carroll County.
"Out of the side of my eye I looked over and my God, there was a bear. I told my wife. I said 'Oh my God. There's a bear," said Marvin Frush,
"We couldn't believe it," said Elinore Frush.
In Jacksonville Elementary, at least, the worries are over once school lets out for the summer Friday.
"It can go anywhere after summer vacation. But please go back north or wherever come August cause school starts again," Glinowiecki said.
There have also been recent bear sightings in Howard and Montgomery counties.
