Black bear visits Los Angeles college campus, wanders neighborhood

LOS ANGELES, April 26 (UPI) -- An education-minded bear paid a visit to a Los Angeles college campus before deciding to check out the neighborhood and being tranquilized in a home's back yard.

The black bear, a male estimated to be 2 or 3 years old, was spotted wandering on the Mission College campus in the Sylmar neighborhood about 8 p.m. Monday and students and teachers were warned to remain indoors while authorities responded to the area.

The bear eventually left the campus and led police on a chase through the neighborhood for more than an hour before he was shot with a tranquilizer dart by a California Fish and Wildlife officer in a resident's back yard.

The 125-pound bear was loaded into the back of a truck and officials said it would be returned to the Angeles National Forest.