Imagine walking into your home and seeing a 500 pound bear rummaging through your refrigerator. And then look at you like you’re breaking into his house rather than the other way around. Well, that seems to be a very common sight in southern Lake Tahoe, California.
According to CBS 13 Sacramento, the bear, known as “Hank the Tank,” has broken into dozens of homes over the years. The bear is currently wanted by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife as it is responsible for more than 150 incidents in the Northern California and Nevada region. The most recent burglary occurred Friday at a property in the region. of Tahoe Keys.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman Peter Tira said, “These are neighborhoods, lots of people, traffic, cars. So we have to do it in a way that is safe for the public and the bear itself. He is a bear very accustomed to food. This means that he is a bear who has lost all fear of people and sees people and houses as a source of food. »
The bear broke a window and snuck into the house on Catalina Drive. Hank left through the back door and disappeared into the woods as the police knocked on the door.
The bear, also known as Jake, Yogi or simply Big Guy, has “lost all fear of people” and sees them as a food source, according to Tira.
At a meeting last week, the owners’ association decided to allow national wildlife authorities to capture the bear. Previous trapping attempts, which have traditionally been more successful in wooded settings, have been futile in residential areas where the bear has become acclimatized, according to SF Gate.
After Friday’s burglary, officials collected DNA evidence to create an accurate match if the bear is caught. If Hank is caught, officials said he could be moved to approved facilities such as zoos and wildlife sanctuaries.
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