WORCESTER, Mass. — Worcester residents, be wary! Video captured shows a black bear roaming around the streets near Dorhety High School.
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At around 1:30 p.m., a resident on Highland Street, just down the street from the school, captured the bear going into the woods.
Worcester police say that the bear, a 120-pound juvenile black bear, was seen strolling around, “Massachusetts Ave, Highland Street, Grove, and Sagamore and found his way into the woods on Newton Hill.”
Shylah Wolnik said she encountered the bear while picking up her son from school and recorded video of it off Highland Street.
“I’ve lived in Worcester my whole life. I’ve never seen a bear face to face like that, and it was literally like ten feet away from my car,” said Wolnik.
Wolnik said the bear appeared near an area commonly used by students walking home.
“Right across the street from the school where all the kids walk down, the bear was right there.”
According to a spokesperson for Worcester Public Schools, they were informed of the bear sighting near the school.
“WPS was in close contact with first responders. Doherty High held student walkers from dismissing the building for a few minutes, but they were released after receiving notification that it was safe to do so. Students were advised to avoid walking through Newton Hill Park,” the spokesperson for Worcester Public Schools.
“They had teachers at the bottom of both walkways. They wouldn’t let any of the kids go,” said Wolnik.
Wolnik described seeing police officers attempting to guide the bear away from homes and schools.
“It was just walking on the grass and looking around. The cops were beeping at it, and it started to move away, but then it bolted down the street through houses and the cops were chasing it,” said Wolnik.
The spokesperson also said that the school did not enter lockdown mode and that the bear did not impact any student leaving by bus or motor vehicle.
Additionally, the nearby Midland Elementary School was briefly put into a “secure” mode.
Despite the scare, Wolnik said the experience was memorable.
“The bear was probably more scared of us than we are of it,” said Wolnik. “I thought it was amazing. I thought it was cool, actually.”
Police added that environmental police were “in the area for a while” watching the bear, but had left the neighborhoods.
Boston 25 has reached out to Worcester Animal Control for comment, but has yet to hear back.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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