A homeowner in California has finally succeeded in removing a colossal 550-pound black bear that had been living beneath his property, causing havoc for more than a month. The persistent animal had turned the crawl space of a luxury home into its den, leading to a fraught battle for eviction.
A Surprising and Unwelcome Tenant
Kenneth Johnson, 63, first discovered the massive male bear had taken up residence underneath his $1.5 million home in Altadena just before the Thanksgiving holiday. The bear, identified by researchers as Yellow 2120, had settled into the confined crawl space, from where it began to damage the property.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) was called in and attempted to capture the animal using bait and noisemakers. However, these efforts proved unsuccessful. The situation grew so frustrating for Johnson that he reportedly threatened to sue the department after he felt they stopped assisting with the removal operation.
Volunteers Achieve a Swift Eviction
The homeowner's luck changed on a Tuesday when experts from the BEAR League, a non-profit based in the Lake Tahoe Basin, volunteered to help. The organisation, which aims to promote living 'in harmony with bears', sent a team to Los Angeles to tackle the problem.
In a daring move, a volunteer named Scott crawled under the house while the bear was still present, manoeuvring behind it to encourage the animal to exit through the crawlspace opening. The strategy worked. Video footage shows the enormous bear scrambling out as volunteers fired paintballs to deter it from returning.
"I couldn't believe it was so fast," Johnson told local news outlet KTLA. "These guys went in, they crawled in behind him and, boom, he was out. I'm relieved – no more banging under the house and smelling him and wondering what’s going on under there."
Securing the Home and Facing the Aftermath
The saga was not entirely over. Johnson captured footage of the bear attempting to return to its former den just two days after the eviction. To prevent this, he boarded up the crawl space and installed an electrified mat, a device loaned by the BEAR League to give him time to make permanent repairs.
The damage caused during the bear's tenure was significant. Johnson was forced to shut off his gas supply after capturing video of the animal twisting and breaking a gas pipe, creating what he described as an "extremely dangerous situation." Having recently lost his job after surviving the Eaton fire, Johnson has launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover the costs of bear removal, repairs, and making his home safe again.
The BEAR League used this case to highlight a crucial preventative measure. "If you live in bear country, securing your crawlspace is essential," the group stated, adding that they evict multiple bears from under homes daily during this season. They urged anyone suspecting a bear has entered their property to call for professional assistance.
