Wildlife officials attempt to trap bear near Estero school

ESTERO, Fla.- Wildlife officials hope to catch a 300 pound black bear that’s been spotted twice in the past two days lurking behind an elementary school.

Pinewoods Elementary School cancelled all outdoor activities Thursday as a precaution.

A trail of marshmallows leads from the woods into a huge metal trap behind the school.

Wildlife officials tell WINK News the black bear was seen near the school’s dumpsters Wednesday night, and again Thursday morning.

“After I dropped her off, it couldn’t have been more than a few hours later, we got more texts and emails,” said Vito Cianciulli.

Parents were notified that for safety reasons, outdoor activities were cancelled for the day. A student-led parent-teacher conference scheduled for Thursday night was also canceled.

“It’s a little crazy, but I think that more unusual things have happened,” said Angi Eberhard.

Officials say the bear is one they’ve dealt with in the past. It has a distinct injured front paw and has been seen roaming nearby communities, but Wednesday was the first time it was seen at the school.

“You’re always concerned about children with bears being around, especially at school,” said Don Kazawic.

Most parents say they are not too worried about the bear’s presence.

“We live in Florida, there’s lots of wildlife here, so it’s not that big of a deal,” said Eberhard.

Officials say the bear was shot with a bean bag and a resource officer chased it into the woods Thursday morning. They hope the marshmallows will draw it back and into the trap.

The elementary school says it is also looking into getting “bear-proof” dumpsters, with metal lids and locks.

If the bear is caught, a biologist will determine what to do with it.