A massive black bear that spent more than a month living beneath a family home in Los Angeles has finally been removed, ending a costly and unsettling ordeal for the homeowner.
A Costly and Unwelcome Tenant
The bear, identified by researchers as Yellow 2120, first moved into the crawl space under Ken Johnson's $1.5 million property around Thanksgiving. The huge animal, estimated to weigh over 500 pounds, caused significant damage as it came and went, twisting gas lines, toppling bricks, and tearing away screening to squeeze through a small opening.
Homeowner Ken Johnson, 63, initially sought help from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Their methods, which included air horns and paintball guns, proved ineffective. They also attempted to capture the bear using bait and noisemakers but only managed to trap a smaller bear instead.
Specialist Intervention Secures Eviction
Frustrated, Johnson turned to the BEAR League, a non-profit organisation specialising in human-bear coexistence. In a daring move, one of their most experienced responders crawled behind the bear under the house to encourage it to leave. "I couldn't believe it was so fast. These guys went in, they crawled in behind him and, boom, he was out," Johnson said.
To prevent the bear's return, the team installed an "unwelcome" mat at the opening—a device that delivers a mild electric shock. Surveillance video later showed the bear returning, stepping on the mat, and quickly running away.
Homeowner Left Counting the Cost
The saga has been particularly difficult for Johnson, who lost his job after last year's Eaton wildfire. He now faces thousands of dollars in repair costs to make his home liveable again. Before the successful eviction, Johnson admitted feeling defeated, having tried numerous DIY deterrents including a homemade burglar alarm and hours-long loops of dog barking played through speakers into the vents.
"If I kept track of everything I tried, it would be Bear 14, Homeowner 0," he confessed. Johnson had even threatened to sue the state over the Department of Fish and Wildlife's initial failures. While the bear has returned at least once since the eviction, it has since moved on, bringing a tense chapter to a close for the relieved homeowner.
