LOCKWOOD — A black bear roamed through a Lockwood neighborhood on Sunday, climbing trees and drawing a crowd of surprised residents before officials arrived on scene.
The bear was not believed to have caused any trouble, but it came within close range of homes and Lockwood schools before authorities responded.
Click here to see the bear:
Longtime Lockwood resident Jay Cormier captured photos of the bear walking the streets near his house on Lauretta Drive.
"I looked over and thought it's a big dog over there," Cormier said Sunday afternoon. "Then I looked again and I was like, 'That ain't no dog. That's a bear.'"
Cormier said the bear climbed a tree just a few blocks from Lockwood schools before Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office and Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks responded to the area.
While Cormier said he was not frightened, he noted the situation could have been more serious on a school day.
"Bears are unpredictable," Cormier said. "Even though this one was young, you can't predict their nature and what they might, you know what I mean?"
Cormier said the sighting was unlike anything he had experienced in his entire life of living in the area.
"You catch mountain lions here, you know, deer and other animals all the time, but never a bear," Cormeir said. "So it was really interesting to see and I quite enjoyed it as a matter of fact."
Cormier said it's a moment he'll never forget.
"In all my life, I've never seen a bear go up a tree like that," Cormier said. "It was quite interesting."
