Beattie Elementary School placed on 'secure status' after bear spotted nearby in Fort Collins
Beattie Elementary School in Fort Collins had a curious visitor today, causing local police and wildlife officials to take safety measures near the school.
The school was placed on "secure status" after a bear was spotted nearby, according to Fort Collins Police.
"A resident called to report a bear near Beattie Elementary today," the department tweeted around 8:40 a.m. "The school was placed on secure status (doors locked, learning continued). You may see police presence as we work with [Colorado Parks and Wildlife] to relocate the wayward visitor to a more suitable learning environment for bears."
The department tweeted a picture of the bear that was sent to them by an area resident, as well as tips for being safe around bears and other wildlife:
Tips to keep everyone safe:
— Fort Collins Police (@FCPolice) August 25, 2022
🐻Never approach or feed wildlife.
🐕Keep pets leashed to avoid unintended interactions.
📲If the animal is acting strangely, injured, or in a place that poses a risk to people, contact Parks & Wildlife or Dispatch to connect with them.
Wildlife officers were able to immobilize the bear off Center Avenue near the U.S. Forest Service office. He was transported to a better habitat for bears.
Ft Collins 🐻 update: wildlife officers with the assistance of @FCPolice and @FCNaturalAreas immobilized a young, male bear off of Center Ave near the @usfsarp office. We are transporting him to some better habitat for release. He is being encouraged to work from home #smokeybear
— CPW NE Region (@CPW_NE) August 25, 2022