A black bear sighting near Demorest Elementary School early Tuesday morning sparked a swift response from local authorities and school officials. The incident occurred just after 7 a.m. on May 13, when nearby residents spotted an adolescent black bear near the school, located off Demorest-Mt. Airy Highway.
“It was so close to the school that we thought they should be alerted,” said resident Ron Mote, who immediately called 911. “He was just passing through. He wasn’t here more than 2-3 minutes, but he was headed toward the school.”
According to Melanie Bellinger, assistant director of Habersham County E-911, dispatchers alerted school resource officers and local bus drivers to remain on high alert following the call.
Habersham County Superintendent Patrick Franklin confirmed the school district took immediate action in response to the alert.
“We had that school on heightened alert,” Franklin said. “There’s been no sightings, nothing like that, near the school building or area of the school. Right now, we have folks keeping an eye out on the exterior of the building.”
Although the bear was seen early Tuesday morning, officials with the Demorest Police Department reported receiving another call about a possible bear sighting in the same area just before 2:30 p.m. the same afternoon.
