A wild bear delivered a big surprise for a school principal who found the animal inside a dumpster in West Virginia.
Zela Elementary School principal, James Marsh, was unlocking the lid of the school’s trash bin when, unsuspectedly, the black bear’s head suddenly appeared through the opening.
And as the horrified administrator fled in one direction, the equally terrified bear ran off in another.
CCTV footage of the bizarre confrontation shows Marsh unlocking the dumpster’s lid. The bear scare took place at the school in Nicholas County on Monday, May 1.
But just as he got the lid unlocked, the trapped bear stuck its snout through the gap and lurched toward freedom.
As the bear ran towards the woodland, the school head fled in the opposite direction.
When he returned, he appeared shocked and bent forward to catch his breath.
And as a school storeroom door opened, he shared about his near miss with nature with a staff member.
The bear apparently got into the dumpster through a trash slot looking for food but could not get out again until the lid was opened.
Nicholas County Board of Education said in a statement on Monday, “Who says principals don’t deserve hazard pay????”