(Reuters) – A younger mountain lion wandered into an empty highschool classroom in northern California on Wednesday and crouched below a desk, the place college employees remoted the cat till wildlife officers might take away the animal, authorities stated.

The juvenile cougar, weighing solely about 40 kilos (18 kg), walked in as custodial employees had been opening up the college earlier than lessons began, and neither the animal nor any people had been harm within the incident, in accordance with San Mateo County Sheriff’s Workplace spokesperson Javier Acosta.

The bizarre invasion occurred shortly earlier than 8:30 a.m. within the city of Pescadero, a small coastal ranching and farming group close to a wildlife refuge about 45 miles (72 km) south of San Francisco.

“The mountain lion very casually walked via campus and went into the classroom and hunkered down below a desk,” Acosta advised Reuters by phone. A member of the custodial employees then closed the door to the room, often used for English lessons, to maintain the animal remoted inside.

Though no college students had arrived but, college officers determined to go forward with lessons however had been protecting pupils “locked down” till state fish and recreation personnel can safely take away the puma, Acosta stated.

“They have been on property since about 9:30 a.m., formulating a plan to securely and humanely take away the mountain lion from the classroom and return it to its pure habitat,” Acosta stated.

The incident is prone to mark a memorable spotlight for Pescadero Excessive college students of their final week of lessons for the tutorial yr.