A 550-pound bear that had been living under a California homeowner's house for over a month finally left after a unique strategy ended a long streak of failed removal attempts by state officials. The male black bear was reportedly removed from the crawl space on Tuesday after bear-removal experts from Tahoe traveled to the Altadena home. One team member crawled inside and fired paintballs filled with vegetable oil, wildlife organization BEAR League told Fox News Digital on Thursday. This strategy proved effective, as the bear was successfully evicted in less than 20 minutes.
The large bear had been wedging itself in and out of a small crawl space beneath Ken Johnson’s house since late November, causing extensive damage and creating a dangerous, unlivable situation. Johnson said the animal caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage and created structural and gas line issues. He also lost his job after surviving the Eaton fire, which further exacerbated the situation. Johnson contacted BEAR League, an organization that specializes in bear removal emergencies in Lake Tahoe, located seven hours north of Altadena.
BEAR League's strategy involved using paintballs filled with vegetable oil, which hit the bear in the backside. The organization emphasized the importance of properly securing crawl spaces to prevent bears from denning in them again. They loaned electric unwelcome mats to Johnson to give him time to make repairs and secure the crawl space. Social media footage showed the mat working effectively, with the bear scurrying away when it returned.
This success ended a long streak of failed eviction attempts by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which had been trying to remove the bear for over a month. At one point, a trap even caught the wrong bear. Efforts that included bait, noisemakers, and a trap that caught the wrong bear all failed. BEAR League's unique approach, combined with their expertise and quick response, ultimately led to the bear's successful eviction, ensuring the safety and well-being of both the homeowner and the bear.
