Updated

When a black bear wandered near a Portland-area elementary school, some students got a day off while wildlife crews got a run for their money.

The 200-pound bruin was spotted Wednesday in a field next to Tualatin Elementary School prompting the cancellation of classes.

For several hours, the male bear eluded capture but was finally darted with a tranquilizer gun and fell asleep in a tree.

When he failed to fall into a waiting net, a firefighter climbed to the animal and fashioned a harness that allowed crews to lower him 60 feet to the ground. The Oregonian says he will be released in the coastal mountains.

Meanwhile, students who arrived before classes were canceled stayed indoors and studied what officials described as a "bear curriculum."