Authorities in California ended up temporarily restricting traffic in the vicinity of a school in Vacaville after a black bear was spotted relaxing on a tree nearby.
Issuing a warning on Facebook* about the bear sighting on Monday morning, the Vacaville Police Department said that the animal was seen in the 200 block of the North Orchard area, and that officers kept the creature under surveillance as "nearby schools safely assembled for class".
The post also featured a brief video of the animal in question.
Noting that Solano County is a "natural habitat for black bears", Vacaville PD added that their intent was to merely observe the bear in hopes that it would eventually wander back to its home.
According to SFGate, some roads were temporarily closed in the area as police officers guarded the bear, while the California Department of Fish and Wildlife told media "the bear is relaxing and not showing any signs of aggression".
Later that same day, Vacaville PD updated their Facebook post, saying that the traffic restrictions had been lifted.
"After consulting with our partners at the Department of Fish and Wildlife, we will continue to monitor our furry friend until nightfall", the updated post said. "At that time we hope it will find its way back to a more natural habitat on its own".
If the animal would not have left the area on its own, the authorities would have tranquillised and relocated it, SFGate noted.
*Facebook is banned in Russia over extremist activities