A black bear was tranquilized after it wandered onto the University of Colorado campus in Boulder.
The 200-pound animal was spotted near university housing on April 26. One woman said it brushed past her as she was putting money into a parking meter.
FOR PHOTOS VISIT THE CU INDEPENDENT
"It was like, 'Excuse me, pardon me, coming through.' It was running full speed," Rhonda Chestnutt told the Denver Post.
After about two hours, wildlife officials were able to tranquilize the animal, which had positioned itself atop a tree.
CU Independent photographer Andy Duann captured the astonishing images of the bear falling from the brush onto a pad that workers had positioned beneath the tree to ensure the animal had a soft landing spot.
Shortly after the image hit the web, the photo began going viral and brought in so much traffic that it temporarily crashed the Independent's site, according to Denver Westword.
Gil Asakawa, an adviser for the Independent, told Westword the photographer was simply "in the proverbial right place and right time."
A representative for Colorado Parks and Wildlife said the bear will be released back into the wild, The Denver Channel reported.
The black bear was not the first wild animal to wander its way onto the college campus this school year.
In October, officials had to tranquilize a mountain lion that was spotted near student dorms, according to the CU Independent.
Born Free USA has suggested that "As human development progressively encroaches on wildlife habitat, conflicts between wildlife and people increase."
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The Huffington Post | By Ileana Llorens Posted: 04/27/2012 12:25 pm Updated: 04/30/2012 10:34 am