Students at Roanoke Rapids High School spotted a bear outside classroom windows Thursday morning, and the building was briefly on lockdown, according to a school district spokesman.
The bear was spotted at about 9:15 a.m. on the high school campus at 800 Hamilton St. and about 20 minutes later outside Manning Elementary School at 1102 Barrett St. Inside both schools, students and teachers were asked to remain in their classrooms as a precaution.
Other WRAL Top Stories
"We wanted to ensure that all students, staff and visitors on campus were safe," said Les Atkins, Roanoke Rapids schools public information officer.
The bear climbed a tree, where Atkins captured a photograph before state wildlife officers arrived to remove the bear. After they had lured the animal into a nearby wooded area, the lock down was lifted, Atkins said.
"The bear is no longer a threat and the soft lockdown has been lifted," read a post on the high school website.