An elementary school principal in West Virginia got the scare of his life Monday morning after a simple visit to the trash bin.
James Marsh, the principal of Zela Elementary School, was caught on surveillance camera opening a school dumpster in Summersville when a black bear poked its head out.
The video, posted to the Nicholas County Board of Education Facebook page, shows the entire bizarre encounter.
When Marsh comes face-to-face with the bear, he runs.
The bear, meanwhile, hops out and heads in the opposite direction.
A co-worker incidentally watched from the safety of a classroom, quickly shutting the door when she saw what was going on.
Neither the Marsh nor the bear appeared injured.
The principal, however, was clearly relieved.
“Who says principals don’t deserve hazard pay????” the school posted on Facebook.
It’s unclear when or why the bear jumped into the dumpster in the first place
The video, little over a minute long, was posted May 1 and has now been viewed almost 50,000 times.
