California teacher finds bear in her classroom as she prepares for the new school year

Thursday, August 8, 2024
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- A wild sight for a California teacher as she was getting her class ready for the first day of school.

In an interview with ABC News affiliate KERO, Elaine Salmon said she was walking back into her classroom at Peak Mountain Charter School in Kern County after printing copies in the office when she was confronted by a bear.

Salmon quickly shut the door, locking the wild animal inside her classroom.

She quickly realized that she accidentally locked her cellphone and the bear in the same room.

"I went over, went back to the office, closed the door, locked the bear in there and then I went back to the office to call my husband," Salmon said. "My first thought was, is it gonna do any damage? I have a brand new floor and I already have my decorations up."



Salmon's husband came and held the door open and the bear quickly ran back into the mountains.

Fortunately, there was no damage to the room except for a few stolen snacks.

She says the incident is all proof that bears really do love "salmon."

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