A homeowner in California has finally seen the end of a month-long ordeal after a massive black bear, weighing an estimated 550 pounds, was successfully evicted from beneath his property.
A Costly and Unwanted Tenant
The saga began when Ken Johnson, a resident of Altadena, California, discovered the enormous bear had taken up residence in the crawl space under his home. The animal was not a quiet lodger. The bear caused tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage, including twisting and damaging gas pipes, creating a serious safety hazard and compelling Johnson to seek urgent assistance.
The Struggle for Help and a Daring Rescue
After finding it difficult to secure immediate help from official state channels like the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Johnson turned to a specialist group, the BEAR League. This non-profit wildlife rescue organisation responded to the call. In a daring move, a veteran responder named Scott crawled under the house while the bear was still present. His mission was to manoeuvre behind the animal and encourage it to leave through the crawl space opening.
"Scott, one of our most experienced responders, crawled beneath the home – fully aware the bear was still there – to get behind him and encourage him to exit," a spokesperson for the league explained. The risky tactic proved successful, and the bear initially vacated the den.
Ensuring the Bear Stays Away
However, the story did not end there. The bear later returned to the property, seemingly intent on moving back into its former underground home. The BEAR League, anticipating this, had taken preventative measures. They had installed electric "unwelcome mats" at the entrance to the crawl space. Video footage captured the moment the bear returned, sniffed at the mat now blocking its den, and was deterred from re-entering.
The use of these non-lethal deterrents represents a common strategy in human-wildlife conflict management, aiming to teach the animal to associate the location with an unpleasant experience without causing it harm. For Ken Johnson, the mats provided a final solution to a stressful and expensive problem that had lasted for over a month, finally allowing him to secure his property and begin repairs.
