Bear scare near Foothill Boulevard puts area schools on high alert

1/10

A young, sleepy female black bear is held down by a game warden while she completely falls asleep after being tranquilized and falling off a tree, at a home on the 4800 block of Burgoyne Lane, in La Canada Flintridge on Thursday, May 31, 2018. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

2/10

A young female black bear scampers down a large tree in the backyard of a home on the 4800 block of Burgoyne Lane, in La Canada Flintridge on Thursday, May 31, 2018. After being shot with a tranquilizer dart and climbing another large tree, the bear fell to the ground and was taken away buy game wardens, (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

3/10

An L,A, County Sheriff Dept. officer, left, and a game warden prepare a young female black bear for transport back to the forest after hanging out at a home on the 4800 block of Burgoyne Lane, in La Canada Flintridge on Thursday, May 31, 2018. After being shot with a tranquilizer dart and climbing a large tree, the bear fell to the ground and was taken away by game wardens, (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

4/10

Neighbors look on as a young female black bear is tranquilized and taken away from a home on the 4800 block of Burgoyne Lane, in La Canada Flintridge on Thursday, May 31, 2018. After being shot with a tranquilizer dart and climbing another large tree, the bear fell to the ground and was taken away by game wardens, (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

5/10

`A young female black bear scampers down a large tree in the backyard of a home on the 4800 block of Burgoyne Lane, in La Canada Flintridge on Thursday, May 31, 2018. After being shot with a tranquilizer dart and climbing another large tree, the bear fell to the ground and was taken away by game wardens,

(Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

6/10

Local L.A. County Sheriff Dept. and L.A. County Fire Dept. personnel assist game wardens carry a young female black bear to a waiting truck on the 4800 block of Burgoyne Lane, in La Canada Flintridge on Thursday, May 31, 2018. After being shot with a tranquilizer dart and climbing another large tree, the bear fell to the ground and was taken away buy game wardens, (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

7/10

8/10

Media reports on a young female black bear found at a home on the 4800 block of Burgoyne Lane, in La Canada Flintridge on Thursday, May 31, 2018. After being shot with a tranquilizer dart and climbing another large tree, the bear fell to the ground and was taken away by game wardens, (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

9/10

A young female black bear is kept cool after being removed from a home on the 4800 block of Burgoyne Lane, in La Canada Flintridge on Thursday, May 31, 2018. After being shot with a tranquilizer dart and climbing another large tree, the bear fell to the ground and was taken away buy game wardens, (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

10/10

A game warden prepares to tranquilize a young female black bear that climbed up a large tree in the backyard of a home on the 4800 block of Burgoyne Lane, in La Canada Flintridge on Thursday, May 31, 2018. After being shot with a tranquilizer dart and climbing another large tree, the bear fell to the ground and was taken away by game wardens, (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

By Sara Cardine

May 31, 2018 5:35 PM PT

Schools along La Cañada’s Foothill Boulevard were on alert Thursday after learning a young bear was prowling among houses on Daleridge Road, but tensions eased after the animal hunkered down in a tree and was later tranquilized and relocated.

Lt. DeMarkus Smith, a watch commander for the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station, said the initial call came in at around 11:55 a.m. Thursday. Units responded, and nearby schools, including St. Bede the Venerable Elementary, St. Francis High, Flintridge Preparatory and Crestview Preparatory, were informed of the bear’s presence.

A representative from St. Bede, the campus closest to the bear sighting, said a security guard was actively monitoring the situation. Across the street at St. Francis, Dean of Students John Jordan said the gates were temporarily locked as a precaution.

“It was pretty much a ghost town,” Jordan said of the campus, mostly vacated at the end of a half-day finals schedule. “We closed the front gate and had two security guards out front. Outside of curiosity there was no real danger.”

Flintridge Prep officials reported that while few students and faculty were on campus Thursday, precautions, including alerting staff members and ensuring all gates were locked, were taken.

When the 2-year-old bruin ran up a tree on the 4800 block of Daleridge, sheriff’s deputies turned the matter over to California Department of Fish and Wildlife warden Kory Collins and members of the Los Angeles Fire Department, who sprayed water at the creature to get it to descend.

“When he came down, they tranquilized him,” Smith said. “He ran and went up another tree, and they had to tranquilize him again.”

The watch commander said the bear was taken from the scene for relocation, likely somewhere deep inside Angeles National Forest.

“He’s gone,” Smith said.

sara.cardine@latimes.com

Twitter: @SaraCardine

UPDATES:

5:15 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details about the bear’s capture and relocation.

This article was originally published at 2:25 p.m.