Massive bear finally evicted from California home after terrorizing owner for more than a month
A California homeowner has finally removed a 550-pound bear living under his house that has been wreaking havoc for over a month.Kenneth Johnson, 63, discovered the massive male black bear had taken up residence in the crawl space of his $1.5 million Altadena home just before Thanksgiving.The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) attempted to capture the beast, called Yellow 2120 by researchers, with bait and noisemakers. But their efforts were unsuccessful and Johnson even threatened to sue the department after they allegedly stopped helping with the removal.However, the homeowner finally had a stroke of luck on Tuesday when experts with the BEAR League stepped in.Volunteers from the non-profit organization based in the Lake Tahoe Basin travelled to Los Angeles to help Johnson. The group aims to help people live 'in harmony with bears'.'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 through the crawlspace opening,' BEAR League wrote on Facebook.Video showed the massive bear crawling out from underneath the house as the volunteers fired paintballs at it. A 550-pound bear living under a California home has finally be evicted after taking up residence over a month ago Kenneth Johnson, 63, discovered the massive male black bear living in the crawl space of his $1.5 million Altadena home just before Thanksgiving'I couldn't believe it was so fast,' Johnson told 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.'Johnson captured footage of the bear attempting to return to his home two days later, but he was able to board up the crawl space and placed an electrified mat to keep him out. 'We also loaned electric unwelcome mats to give the homeowner time to make repairs and secure the crawlspace to prevent another visit,' BEAR League added. Before the bear was removed, Johnson said he was forced to shut off his gas after he captured video of a broken pipe by the bear. Johnson has since launched a GoFundMe to help cover the cost of repairs for the damage.'Right after surviving the Eaton fire, I lost my job, and shortly after that the bear began tearing into the structure of my home,' he wrote.'I have video footage of it twisting gas pipes, which created an extremely dangerous situation and forced me to shut off my utilities just to stay safe. Volunteers from the non-profit organization BEAR League chased the beast out using paintballs Before the bear was removed, Johnson said he was forced to shut off his gas after he captured video of a broken pipe by the bear The bear attempted to return to his home two days later, but Johnson was able to board up the crawl space and placed an electrified mat to keep him out'I’m asking for help to cover the cost of removing the bear, repairing the damage, and making my home safe and livable again.' BEAR League wrote that this case shows the importance of securing your crawlspace.'If you live in bear country, securing your crawlspace is essential,' the group said.'This time of year, BEAR League evicts multiple bears from under homes every day. If you suspect a bear has entered, please call us.'
