LOVELAND, Colo. — For a brief moment Monday, the Little Bear book series took on a life of their own after a bear cub was spotted roaming the grounds of an elementary school in Loveland, the latest in what has become an unprecedented year for bear sightings in Colorado.

Aja Hemmati told Denver7 in an email her family stumbled upon the bear cub as she was dropping off her children at BF Kitchen Elementary School early Monday morning.

WATCH BELOW: Bear cub seen roaming outside BF Kitchen Elementary School in Loveland

WATCH: Bear cub seen roaming outside BF Kitchen Elementary School in Loveland

The bear can be seen running across one of the school entrances before disappearing from sight among the trees. It’s unclear how far from its mother the bear cub was in the video obtained by Denver7.

Mike Hausmann, the chief communications officer for the Thompson School District, told Denver7 in an email that staff members at BF Kitchen Elementary greeted parents as they were arriving at school, letting them know the campus had been placed on secured perimeter (locking all outside doors while activities resume as normal inside the building) because of the bear cub.

“Adults were posted at all of the school entrances to help ensure safety for students and steps were taken by our district safety and security personnel to make sure that students were brought in as quickly as possible,” Hausmann wrote.

He said the bear cub moved off campus and the secure perimeter was then lifted at the beginning of the school day.

“Wildlife incidents such as this (bears and other animals) are not frequent, but they are not unheard of due to the location of some of our schools as well as our district's geographic location,” Hausmann said. “For example, earlier this month, a bear was spotted in the park near Loveland High School. We took steps to ensure safety for the campus even though it was not on school grounds.”

This is the second incident school-related sighting in as many weeks in Colorado.

Last week, Denver7 reported on the uptick of bear sightings at schools in the Cherry Creek School District.

A spokesperson for the district called the sightings “not normal,” but added that similar measures as those taken by the Thompson School District have been in place in the Denver metro.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife say the “unprecedented” number of bear conflicts this year are due, in part, to worsening drought conditions that have depleted natural food sources for bears.

At least seven people have been attacked by bears in Colorado this year out of the more than 6,000 bear sightings reported so far.

Wildlife officials remind the community that preventing conflicts requires a collective effort. CPW recommends the following BearWise tips to keep bears wild:

• Never feed or approach bears. Intentionally feeding wildlife or letting them find accessible food is illegal. It teaches them to approach homes and lose their natural fear of humans.
• Safely store trash, animal feed and other attractants. Lock up trash receptacles and food scraps to eliminate the powerful odors that attract wildlife to residential properties.
• Never leave pet food outdoors. Feed domestic pets indoors or thoroughly clean up bowls immediately after any outdoor feeding.
• Clean and store outdoor grills. Burn off grease and food particles after every use, and store grills inside a secure garage or shed.
• Secure windows and doors. Keep all bear-accessible windows and doors closed and locked, including garage doors. Bears are excellent climbers, so this includes any top story exterior windows or doors.
• Know what to do if a bear does enter your home. If a bear is in your house, leave immediately if you can safely do so.
• Leave all exit doors open to give the bear a clear escape route, do not block its path, and never try to shoo or corner the animal out of your home. Call 911 immediately and remain outside until wildlife officers have confirmed the bear is out of the home.
• Know what to do if you encounter a black bear.
  
  • If you see a bear before it notices you, don't approach.
  • Stop and quietly move away, while giving the bear a clear escape route.
  • If a bear sees you, back away slowly. Never run; running may trigger a chase response.
  • If a bear approaches, hold your ground, wave your arms and yell, "Hey, bear!" until it leaves.
  • If a black bear makes contact with you, do NOT play dead; fight back aggressively.

CPW encourages Coloradans to report bear activity and conflicts by clicking here.