A family in Altadena, Calif., nearly had a grizzly run-in with an unexpected visitor when they returned to their evacuated home.
Last week, homeowner Samy Arbid was informed by a utility company that power couldn’t be restored to his home because a very large bear had been found in the crawl space where they needed to work. Arbid, along with his neighbors, had evacuated his home due to the deadly Eaton fire.
“I think he was scared,” Arbid told local CBS outlet KCAL News.
Related: Man Survives Attack by Black Bear in California Foothills While on a Run
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
525-pound bear found in evacuated home in California
California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) was dispatched “to quickly capture and relocate the bear to the nearest suitable habitat,” the agency said in a Facebook post. It took a team of eight CDFW employees nearly 24 hours to remove the “massive, 525-pound adult male bear” from his hiding place.
CDFW added that “after assessing the crawlspace and size of bear, it became clear that chemical immobilization of the bear was not an option.” CDFW Environmental Scientist Kevin Howells, along with other experts, “determined a bear trap placed near the crawlspace opening would be the best decision given the situation.”
“They went to Stater Bros. and bought some rotisserie chicken and sardines and tomato sauce, apples and peanut butter, all kinds of stuff. They made a feast for him,” Arbid told KCAL.
The food worked like a charm and “within minutes of placing the trap,” the bear emerged from underneath the house and “walked in and triggered the trap door.”
Barry the Bear, as he’s known by locals, was then “transported in the trap into Angeles National Forest and given a welfare check, GPS-collared and measured before being safely released just after midnight,” the CDFW stated.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
525-pound bear found in evacuated home in California
The crawl space was then boarded up and made “bear-proof,” which the CDFW encourages all residents in the area to do.
“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,” the organization concluded their post.
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