Several schools in Northern California were briefly placed under lockdown after a black bear was spotted moving across a campus.
The Madera County Sheriff’s Office said Friday morning that multiple schools in the mountain community of Oakhurst—including Yosemite High School, Oak Creek Intermediate and Oakhurst Elementary—had been locked down after the bear was seen.
The animal was initially spotted near the tennis courts at Yosemite High School. It later climbed up and down a tree before wandering away, according to a Yosemite Unified School District spokesperson who spoke with the California Post.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service was contacted while deputies in the area worked to protect students and school staff.
Parents were notified before classes began, and students remained on buses until the lockdown was lifted.
Photographs showed the black bear standing on its hind legs on school grounds and later sitting in a tree it had climbed.
Video obtained by ABC 30 captured the bear walking across the campus.
Wildlife officials told KSEE 24 that they believed the bear had left the area.
A district spokesperson said she was not aware of a bear ever being seen on campus before.
“It’s not something that’s unusual where we live, we see bears in our neighborhood,” the spokesperson said. “Usually not an issue on campus, though, when students are present.”
No injuries were reported.
It remains unclear whether the bear was an adult or a young animal. The California Post contacted the US Fish and Wildlife Service seeking additional information.
