Khaberni - A huge black bear weighing 550 pounds left a house in the Altadena neighborhood of Los Angeles after spending 37 days hiding under the building, where he shared the space with its owner, Ken Johnson.
Johnson explained that the bear made his daily life exhausting, describing it as an "unbearable roommate" that caused him stress and ruined the Christmas atmosphere.
Bear League Intervenes
The bear was removed on Tuesday with the help of the "Bear League," a group that specializes in handling bear emergencies in the Lake Tahoe area. Anne Bryant, the founder and executive director of the league, said, "We heard about Ken’s situation, felt sorry for him, and traveled to remove the bear."
The team used paintballs filled with vegetable oil to drive the bear away from its den, and the animal responded within 20 minutes. Bryant noted that the paintballs sometimes hit the bear on its backside, adding that the organization conducts between six to eight bear removal operations daily.
Preventative Measures to Prevent Bear’s Return
After the bear was removed, Johnson covered the crawl space with two layers of plywood and sandbags to prevent the animal's return, and the league placed an electric mat that delivers a mild shock when stepped on.
The mat indeed had a significant effect, as the bear returned on Wednesday and immediately fled after receiving an electric shock, according to Johnson: "The bear came back, and I said, my God! It touched the mat and ran off into the darkness."
Struggle with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife had been trying for more than a month to remove the bear, initially using scent sprays, then a trap filled with sardines, fried chicken, shrimp, peanut butter, and apples, but it ultimately ended up capturing another roaming bear in the neighborhood.
