Black Bear Spotted in Georgetown Township, Prompting Police Search and School Lockdown

*Hudsonville, Mich.* — A black bear was spotted wandering through residential neighborhoods in Georgetown Township Friday morning, prompting the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office to launch a search and the Hudsonville Public Schools to keep students inside buildings as a precaution.

Residents in the Schoolside Drive and Hidden Lake Drive neighborhoods provided footage of the bear to law enforcement, showing the animal was in those areas between 6:30 a.m. and 7:10 a.m. on April 17, according to deputies.

"The sheriff's office would like to remind the public that generally, bears are not aggressive but they can be unpredictable, especially if they feel threatened or are protecting food sources or cubs," deputies wrote in a news release.

Video Evidence Captures Bear Running Through Backyards

Joel Matzke, a resident who recently moved into his home, captured the bear on security cameras he had installed. The video shows the animal running through his backyard and into the front yard near Bauer Elementary and Georgetown Elementary.

"Just put up new cameras, and this morning, woke up and I had a notification… I looked and I was like, Oh my gosh, that's a bear," Matzke said.

"Initially, I was like, is it a dog?... but then the way it was running… I was like, that doesn't quite look like a dog… and I was like, oh… it's a bear," Matzke said.

Matzke noted the number of children living in his cul-de-sac and expressed concern about what could happen if a bear was roaming the area with so many kids nearby.

Schools Keep Students Inside, No Injuries Reported

Out of an abundance of caution, the Hudsonville Public Schools superintendent sent a letter to families Friday morning regarding the sighting. The letter stated that the district worked with law enforcement and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to keep students inside while the school day otherwise continued as normal.