Teacher Finds Shocking Surprise Inside School Dumpster

Imagine coming to school on a Monday morning expecting a normal day, only to be greeted by a wild bear. That’s exactly what happened to James Marsh, the principal of Zela Elementary School. Over the weekend, locks had been placed on the school’s outdoor dumpster. This was because staff noticed that several trash bags inside had been ripped open. They suspected an animal might be digging through the garbage.

The Unexpected Visitor in the Dumpster

When James arrived at school early Monday, he walked over to the dumpster to unlock it. As he opened the lid, something large and unexpected jumped out—a huge bear! Without thinking twice, James turned and ran in the opposite direction, trying to get away as fast as he could. Just as this happened, another school staff member happened to step outside. The moment she saw the bear, she quickly retreated back indoors. Thankfully, everything was captured on the school’s security cameras.

A Close Call with No Harm Done

Singer Hurt Dog on Camera After Being Released from Prison

Shortly after being released, he became overcome by rage and frustration and began violently wailing on his poor, trembling, frightened dog. It's clear that this man's violent tendencies didn't decrease after serving his time.

Fortunately, no one got hurt. It turned out that the bear was just as scared of James as James was of the bear. Both wanted the same thing—to get away from each other! Later, the security footage revealed that the bear had been visiting the dumpster multiple times over the weekend. The lock that was supposed to keep animals out wasn’t strong enough to stop him.

After this scary surprise, the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources came in to fix the problem. They upgraded the dumpster lock, and since then, there haven’t been any more bear visits. It seems like the new lock is doing its job well.

A Story to Remember

James may have had a bit of a fright, but he’s okay now—and he has quite the story to tell. Understandably, he was shaken up in the moment, but he managed to keep his sense of humor about it.

“That will wake a person up,” James later said about the incident. “That was 7:15 a.m. If you are not already awake, that will wake you up.”

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