A brown bear was spotted running around northwest Fresno Thursday morning.
Video circulating on Thursday showed the bear running near Herndon and West avenues, around Minarets Ave.
Watch: A driver filmed the bear in the street while driving on Minarets Ave.
The big picture: The California Department of Fish and Wildlife responded to calls about the bear and confirmed it was in the area.
Officials ultimately searched the area for hours and believe the bear went back to the San Joaquin River.
What they’re saying: Fresno City Councilman Mike Karbassi, who represents the area the bear was seen running in, urged people to call the Department of Fish and Wildlife at (559) 649-1125 if they ever encounter large wildlife, such as a bear.
“A brown bear is not the usual visitor I have the pleasure of welcoming to District 2 in Northwest Fresno, but I am immensely grateful to the California Department of Fish & Wildlife for their incredibly rapid response to the area to ensure the bear returned to a more appropriate habitat without causing any harm to residents or property,” Karbassi said in a statement.