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550-pound bear finally evicted from California home after bizarre strategy ends monthlong ordeal
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A 550-pound bear that had been living beneath a California man’s home for over a month has finally left after a bizarre strategy ended a long streak of failed removal attempts by state officials.
The male black bear was reportedly removed from the crawl space 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.
According to surveillance video, the large bear has been wedging itself in and out of a small crawl space beneath Ken Johnson’s house since late November. Johnson said that the animal caused extensive damage to his home, costing tens of thousands of dollars. It also created a dangerous, unlivable situation involving structural and gas line issues.
“Right after surviving the Eaton fire, I lost my job, and shortly after that the bear began tearing into the structure of my home,” Johnson said in a GoFundMe page. “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.”
BEAR REMAINS UNDER CALIFORNIA HOME AFTER WEEKS OF FAILED REMOVAL ATTEMPTS
A 550-pound bear finally scurries away after a wildlife expert crawls under the home to flush it out. (BEAR League)
The bear eviction finally took place after Johnson contacted BEAR League, an organization that specializes in bear removal emergencies in Lake Tahoe, located seven hours north of Altadena.
BEAR League told Fox News Digital on Thursday that the organization was “pleased to have helped Ken Johnson with this bear.”
“A Southern California homeowner had a large male bear living under his house for more than a month before reaching out to the BEAR League for help,” the organization added in a post on Facebook on Thursday.
BEAR League told Fox News Digital that the league used paintballs filled with vegetable oil that hit the bear in the backside. The wildlife rescue group reportedly finished the job in less than 20 minutes.
WILD BEAR MAKES ‘VERY POLITE’ SURPRISE VISIT TO CALIFORNIA ZOO BEFORE RETURNING TO FOREST
Surveillance video has captured a large bear squeezing itself into a new home. (Ken Johnson via Storyful)
“After earlier removal attempts by state wildlife officials were unsuccessful, BEAR League first responders Scott and Dave traveled to the Los Angeles area to assist,” the organization added. “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 crawl space opening.”
To prevent the bear from denning in the crawl space again, the organization said it “loaned electric unwelcome mats to give the homeowner time to make repairs and secure the crawl space to prevent another visit.”
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According to social media footage posted by the organization, the mat worked just as designed, and the bear scurried away when it returned.
BEAR League emphasized that residents should be cautious about having open crawl spaces, noting that properly securing them helps people coexist safely with wildlife.
“We remind those who live in bear country that a poorly-secured crawl space is an open invitation for a winter visitor like this bear,” the league said to Fox News Digital. “BEAR League responds multiple times per day at this time of year to evict bears from under homes in the Lake Tahoe region, and we’ve done so for 30 years without cost to the homeowner. We work hard to educate people who share space with the bears that if humans take some very simple steps, they can live in harmony with the bears.”
Tuesday’s 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 even a trap that caught the wrong bear all failed.
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(KRON)– An 18-year-old is dead, and several others are injured after an early morning crash on eastbound I-80, near the 7th street off ramp in San Francisco’s SoMa district, according to California Highway Patrol San Francisco (CHP SF).
The crash occurred around 1:00 a.m. between a tractor-trailer, a Recology truck semi, and a grey Chevrolet Camaro, according to CHP officials.
Police said the Camaro was traveling eastbound just west of 7th Street when it made an illegal lane change to the right, colliding with the tractor-trailer as it was approaching the off-ramp.
Both vehicles crashed into the sand barrels at the top of the 7th Street off-ramp, officials said. The tractor-trailer continued onto the offramp, where it came to a stop, blocking all lanes.
After hitting the sand barrels, the Camaro continued, launching over the off-ramp bridge railing, where it dropped 25 feet and landed in the San Francisco Police Department Impound parking lot beneath the off-ramp and hitting several vehicles in the impound yard, police said. The Camaro landed upside down on top of another car.
Police said four people were inside the Camaro. The driver, an 18-year-old man, had moderate injuries and managed to get himself out of the car, police said. The right front passenger, a 17-year-old male, suffered moderate injuries as well.
The two rear passengers, both 18-year-old men, suffered major injuries. One is being treated at a local hospital, and the other was pronounced dead at 1:50 a.m. at the scene of the crash, police said.
The other three passengers in the Camaro were wearing seatbelts, and the 18-year-old who died was not wearing a seatbelt.
CHP SF officials do not believe alcohol or drugs were a factor in this crash.
SEATTLE – After waking up to a smattering of clouds this morning, skies gradually cleared through the afternoon as sunshine increased around Western Washington. Temperatures climbed into the low 60s for many communities, making for a pleasant and quiet start to the weekend.
What’s next:
Sunday will remain mild and dry with a little more warmth expected across the region. Winds will shift to a more northerly direction, helping temperatures inch upward compared to Saturday.
Sunny weather helps Seattle reach the low to mid 80s Tuesday during the warmest day of the week. (FOX 13 Seattle)
The warming trend will continue Monday as highs climb into the 70s under mostly sunny skies.
By Tuesday, a developing thermal trough along the Cascades will help usher in the warmest air of the week. Sunshine is expected throughout the day with temperatures soaring into the low to mid 80s for many communities.
Some of the traditionally warmer locations could climb even higher. The warmer, drier air will also raise fire danger across parts of the region.
This weather pattern helps Seattle experience sinking air, abundant sunshine, and significantly warmer temperatures. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Water safety on hot days
If you’re planning to cool off at area lakes, rivers, creeks, or streams, remember that water temperatures remain dangerously cold despite the warmer air. Wearing a life vest is strongly encouraged.
Stay heat aware on Tuesday as Seattle weather warms quickly while rivers and lakes remain dangerously cold. (FOX 13 Seattle)
The heat will begin easing Wednesday as temperatures fall back into the low 70s. A cooler onshore flow pattern will continue Thursday and Friday, bringing highs back into the 60s. An isolated shower or two may develop Friday as a weak weather system approaches the Pacific Northwest.
Cooler weather returns to Seattle later in the week with highs back in the 60s and a slight shower chance Friday. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Take good care,
Meteorologist Abby Acone and the FOX 13 Weather Team
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