Bear spotting prompts brief lockdown at Issaquah school
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ISSAQUAH, Wash. -- A bear sighting on campus prompted the Issaquah Valley Elementary School to be placed under lockdown briefly on Wednesday morning.
School officials alerted police and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife after a bear and her cubs were spotted on the front lawn of the school.
"I looked outside the window and there's a mom and three cubs sauntered over to the elementary school," said Jacob Kuper. "After that, I just went to elementary and said might want to lock the building down since there are several bears outside."
The lockdown was lifted around noon after officials, with the help of a bear-sniffing dog, confirmed the bears were no longer in the area.
"If the bear was here, (the) dog would pick up on it and the bear isn't here," said Officer Bruce Richards with the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Richards said the bears likely left the woods for the nearby creek in search of salmon.
"People just need to leave it alone and she's gonna take her cubs back up on the mountain and may come back and do this until the salmon are gone too," he said.
The one-hour lockdown affected kindergartners whose mid-day dismissals were delayed by the incident.
School officials alerted police and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife after a bear and her cubs were spotted on the front lawn of the school.
"I looked outside the window and there's a mom and three cubs sauntered over to the elementary school," said Jacob Kuper. "After that, I just went to elementary and said might want to lock the building down since there are several bears outside."
The lockdown was lifted around noon after officials, with the help of a bear-sniffing dog, confirmed the bears were no longer in the area.
"If the bear was here, (the) dog would pick up on it and the bear isn't here," said Officer Bruce Richards with the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Richards said the bears likely left the woods for the nearby creek in search of salmon.
"People just need to leave it alone and she's gonna take her cubs back up on the mountain and may come back and do this until the salmon are gone too," he said.
The one-hour lockdown affected kindergartners whose mid-day dismissals were delayed by the incident.
Back to school basics; reading, writing, arithmetic and 3 brown (gang member) bears.
Just registering the cubs
Glad to hear this ended well for all. At least for today.
Any one have some honey?
Dang taggers "spotting" bears! Ought to make 'em clean all those spots off with solvent and restore them bears to their natural state, then mebbe a good whuppin' on top of it!
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:-D
 @Funky-Munky Your referrance to the wolf killing in Eastern Washington... Maybe you should learn more about wolves before you start giving Fish and Wildlife a hard time.
 @RealHunter Obviously... You think I don't.... I do know about wolves, worked around and respect their habitat and hunting abilities. There are more humane ways in dealing with wildlife than what has been done in the past. The reason it doesn't get done is because of the money it costs ranchers to secure their animals properly.. Cowboy up and sleep under the stars and secure your animals.... It's your responsibility.
I am surprised Fish and bungholio's didn't get a helicopter and a sharp-shooter and take those horrid terrifying wild animals out... (sarcasm off).
@Funky-Munky It's funny how people move out to the country to be closer to 'nature', then whine and complain when 'nature' walks through their yard...
@Funky-Munky You are on a roll today ;0
"What the heck? When I was a cub this was all woods!"