Wildlife officers finally shot the bear with tranquilizer darts, bringing it down from a tree.
Of all the usual reasons for a school lockdown, this one was novel.
There was a big black bear ... sitting in a tree. And there was no k-i-s-s-i-n-g involved.
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The creature was first spotted early Wednesday morning loping through a residential neighborhood in Rancho Cucamonga, California.
A RCPD deputy recorded this video while pursuing the black bear. Dep. of Fish n Wildlife are onscreen. pic.twitter.com/Yodi9JUydv
— Rancho Police Dept. (@RanchoPD) May 18, 2016
Local cops and the officers from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife spent a good chunk of the morning trying to capture the bear, which climbed a eucalyptus tree and refused to budge.
A nearby junior high was placed on lockdown while game officials fired tranquilizer shots at the bear.
After a round or two buzzed by, the bear began lumbering down the tree's trunk, and was knocked out by a shot that hit home.
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Look at the paws on this on this bear. #BearWatch2016 #RanchoCucamonga pic.twitter.com/70Ycvqd0Dw
— John Valenzuela (@SBSunPhoto) May 18, 2016
The furry creature was placed in a metal box by wildlife officials who said they would release the animal into a forest.
Watch: Man Wakes Up to Find Huge Black Bear Standing and Snacking On His Deck