Residents of Fillmore, California, were relieved Wednesday after a large bear was tranquilized and removed from a residential neighborhood. The bear had been wandering through the area, prompting warnings for people to stay indoors and avoid contact.

Bear Spotted in Residential Area

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office first received reports of the bear on Tuesday night. The animal was observed in a neighborhood situated below the Los Padres National Forest.

Wildlife Officials Respond

Authorities initially waited for personnel from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to arrive on the scene. Aerial footage from AIR7 showed the bear moving calmly between homes near 4th and A streets.

Bear Tranquilized and Removed

At approximately 1:00 PM on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, Fish and Wildlife officials successfully tranquilized the bear. It took six people to carry the large animal after it was sedated.

Resident Accounts

Local resident Pedro Cruz described observing the bear since Tuesday. “A lot of people were coming up and bothering him he stood up and went around the whole house and went to the front of the house were the people were but he didn't attack no one he just went to the bottom of the trampoline,” Cruz stated.

It remains unclear if this bear is the same one that has been sighted in the area in recent weeks. Fish and Wildlife officials secured the streets and remained on-site until the bear was safely removed from the neighborhood.