A bear cub, tranquilised after wandering into a residential area in California, has been released into the Angeles National Forest.

The 125 pound animal wandered out of the woods and into a housing estate in Duarte, after it is thought high temperatures carried food odours further than usual.

The bear, believed to be a juvenile, was captured in the 900 block of Swiss Trail Road on Tuesday afternoon.

The California State Department of Fish and Game tranquilised the bear, before driving the animal approximately 40 miles away and releasing it into the wild.