Bear relocated after spotted strolling through Lompoc backyards

LOMPOC, Calif. - A 300 pound adult brown bear was darted and relocated after it was found roaming backyards in Lompoc.

The first sighting was reported early Tuesday morning on O Street in the southwest corner of the city.

Fish and Wildlife officials received a call from Lompoc police about the bear around 5:30 a.m.

Police kept an eye on the bear while waiting for Fish and Wildlife to arrive on scene.

Police said the bear was running around in backyards and jumping fences but did not cause any damage and was not acting aggressively towards humans.

Around 6:15 a.m., Fish and Wildlife officers used a dart gun on the bear. The bear was in an alleyway and then jumped a brick wall into a resident's yard on the 900 block of West Apple Avenue.

The bear remained in the yard while the dart drug took effect. Eventually the bear was sedated enough for Fish and Wildlife officers to load it into the back of a truck.

Fish and Wildlife said the bear was a healthy, 300 pound male black bear.

The bear was then taken to an open space area south of Lompoc and released.

This is the second instance of a bear walking around in a populated city in Santa Barbara County in the last three weeks. On April 25, a bear was located walking around downtown Solvang, prompting a shelter-in-place order for residents.

Fish and Wildlife said spring is the usual time for bears to be spotted.