SAN LUIS OBISPO -- It's a case of deja vu for San Luis Obispo, after several black bears are spotted within city limits.
The city of San Luis Obispo has issued an alert after a woman saw three black bears roaming free near her house on Tuesday night.
The wild animals were seen at the base of Bishop Peak, near the Patricia Drive trail-head.
The city's biologist says it proves San Luis Obispo's surroundings are very natural and neighbors need to be aware of it.
"One of the exciting things about San Luis Obispo is we've got about 6,000 acres of open space that the residents are able to come out and experience," said Freddy Otte, the city biologist.
The woman who spotted the bears says they weren't being aggressive.
The animals were minding their own business, making their way across the hillside.
"Our open spaces are closed from dusk to dawn, so we're trying to prevent people from being out in the environment when typically wildlife is moving around," said Otte.
A very different scenario involving a black bear played out last year.
The animal roamed city streets for weeks, breaking into neighborhood chicken coops for its dinner.
Finally, federal wildlife officers shot and killed it.
Wildlife experts say that was rather unusual behavior for a bear.
"If a bear is being aggressive or if it's seen during the day walking down the street, that's atypical of their behavior," said Otte. "They don't want to be seen, they don't want to have to deal with people."
A sign is now posted at the trail-head warning hikers of Tuesday's wild sighting.
It says stay on designated trails and keep pets under control.
If you're out enjoying any of the city's 6,000 acres of open space and you encounter a bear, wildlife experts say do not throw anything at the animal.
They say make as much noise as you can and make yourself appear as big as possible.
