A 13-year-old student encountered black bears after getting off her school bus in West Hartford, Connecticut, reported NBC News.
According to the news report, seconds after the teen got off her school bus, she was greeted by two black bears. The teen, who was not identified in this writing, immediately called her mom, Jeannette Dardenne, upon seeing the bears.
Dardenne told local news reporters that her daughter told her in a very calm voice, “Mom, there is a bear in front of me,” then she paused and said, “There are two bears in front of me.”
Dardenne reportedly stayed on the phone with her daughter until the bears moved away.
“I think she was more like, ‘It’s beautiful,’ and I think it was also a lesson for her to recognize that there are wild animals here and you do have to take note,” said Dardenne.
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is tracking an increase in bear sightings. The bear population in the state is estimated to be between 1,000 and 1,200.
DEEP Wildlife Division Director Jenny Dickson said the uptick in activity is coming from bears trying to find food. Deep stated that in most cases, if a bear is left alone, it will make its way to a more natural habitat.
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