Kansas City, Mo. ? A 30-pound bobcat was released into a wildlife area after being found Monday morning lying next to a side door of a North Kansas City elementary school.

The Maplewood Elementary School facility manager discovered the cat as he was unlocking the school around 6:30 a.m.

School officials and police kept bystanders back while Critter Catchers, a wild-animal relocation company, worked with a conservation official to trap the cat.

Instead of using tranquilizers to subdue the animal, workers used spray from a fire extinguisher to get the cat into a cage around 8 a.m.

Critter Catchers owner Jody Paul says there are bobcats in the Kansas City area, but they’re not usually a danger unless they are cornered or threatened.