To the amusement of onlookers, bear tumbles onto pads set up by wildlife officials, who then released it in the Rocky Mountains

No, this is not a bear bouncing on a trampoline, although it certainly resembles one. This picture in fact shows the animal falling safely from a tree after being tranquilized.

The black bear had wandered onto the University of Colorado campus on Thursday, where it had padded around a university residence hall for some time before climbing a tree.

Wildlife officers eventually tranquilized it, and the bear dropped 15ft (4.5m) from its perch onto pads placed on the ground.

It landed on its back before a crowd of gawking students. Campus police spokesman Ryan Huff called it "a perfect landing".

The campus newspaper, the CU Independent, reported:

The bear managed to climb up a tree near the dorms where it stayed for about two and a half hours. Wildlife officials were able to safely tranquilize the bear at 10.17am and the bear fell onto mats provided by the Recreation Center at approximately 10.28am.

State wildlife official Jennifer Churchill said Friday that the 200lb (91kg) male bear was tagged and taken to a remote area of ponderosa pines, oak brush and chokeberry in the nearby Rocky Mountains.