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(KTLA) – Wildlife officials rescued a 525-pound bear found hiding underneath a home that was evacuated during the Eaton Fire.
When evacuations were lifted and the owner of the Altadena home returned, their utility company said power couldn’t be restored since a large bear was residing in the crawl space where workers needed to access.
Wildlife experts from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife arrived at the home and after assessing the crawlspace and the male bear’s massive size, they determined that tranquilization would not be a feasible option.
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Wildlife officials rescued a 525-pound bear that was hiding underneath an Altadena home that was evacuated during the Eaton Fire. (California Department of Fish and Wildlife) -
The bear was hiding in a crawlspace underneath an Altadena home that was evacuated during the Eaton Fire. (California Department of Fish and Wildlife) -
The bear was hiding in a crawlspace underneath an Altadena home that was evacuated during the Eaton Fire. (California Department of Fish and Wildlife) -
The 525-pound bear was safely transported to the Angeles National Forest where it was released. (California Department of Fish and Wildlife)
They decided to place a bear trap filled with bait near the crawlspace entrance instead.
“We got some apples, peanut butter and some rotisserie chicken,” said CDFW Environmental Scientist Kevin Howells.
Howells and a team of eight workers spent nearly 24 hours working to remove the large bear. Shortly after placing the trap, the bear came out of the crawlspace, walked inside and triggered the trap door closed.
The bear was safely transported to the Angeles National Forest. After officials administered a welfare check, measured him and attached a GPS collar, he was released into the forest.
Locals told Nexstar’s KTLA that they’ve seen the bear roaming the community for years and have even nicknamed him “Barry.”
The Altadena home has since been bear-proofed and the crawl space was securely boarded up to prevent animals from entering in the future.
“In the foothills of bear country, it’s important to close crawl spaces with bear-proof material in advance of winter months to discourage bears from denning and damaging property,” CDFW officials said.
