Residents in a quiet California neighbourhood have finally seen the back of an enormous and unwelcome houseguest: a 550lb black bear that had taken up residence beneath a family home for more than a month.
The Unwelcome Tenant
Ken Johnson, a resident of Altadena in southern California, first realised he had a lodger in late November 2025. The massive bear had settled into the crawl space under his property. "He's a nuisance and he's living under my house rent-free," Johnson told local media at the time, summarising a frustrating situation familiar to many landlords, albeit with a far more dangerous tenant.
Johnson contacted the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) for assistance. The agency attempted to trap the animal, but their efforts only succeeded in catching a smaller bear, leaving the 550lb behemoth, tagged by officials as Bear 2120, undisturbed. As weeks turned into a month, Johnson's patience wore thin. He reportedly threatened to sue the DFW for negligence and emotional distress.
"If I kept track of everything I tried, it would be Bear: 14, Homeowner: 0," Johnson lamented to news outlet KTLA, highlighting the one-sided nature of the struggle.
A History of Seeking Shelter
This was not Bear 2120's first foray into suburban living. Officials revealed the animal had previously been relocated from another area home after taking refuge there. The bear's behaviour is part of a wider pattern observed in the Altadena community. In January 2025, the devastating Eaton wildfire ripped through the nearby Angeles National Forest and scorched parts of Altadena, displacing local wildlife.
In the fire's aftermath, several large black bears, some weighing over 500lb, were found sheltering in homes evacuated during the blaze. While it is unclear if Bear 2120 was one of these initial refugees, the event set a precedent for human-bear encounters in the area.
It is worth noting that black bears, the only bear species native to California, are generally non-confrontational. State records show only one fatal attack on a human in California's history. The population is robust, estimated at between 49,000 and 71,000 animals.
The Unconventional Eviction
The stalemate was finally broken on Tuesday, 1 December 2025, when a non-profit organisation called the Bear League intervened. Specialists from the Lake Tahoe-based group crawled into the confined space and used paintball guns to drive the bear out from its den beneath Johnson's house.
"I couldn't believe it was so fast," a relieved Johnson told KTLA. "These guys went in, they crawled in behind him and, boom, he was out."
To ensure the bear did not simply return, an electrified mat was placed over the entrance to the crawl space. The deterrent proved effective when the bear attempted to come back two days later. With the property finally bear-free, Johnson was able to assess the damage, which included a ruptured gas line.
This unusual story of urban wildlife conflict underscores the challenges faced when human habitats intersect with the territories of large native animals, especially in regions recovering from ecological disturbances like wildfires.
