Evacuated Altadena resident returns to find bear underneath home
Family returns from evacuation, finds massive bear
An Altadena family returning to their home for the first time since the start of the Eaton Fire were surprised to find a massive, 500-pound bear had made a home in their crawlspace.
LOS ANGELES - As evacuation orders were lifted in the Eaton Fire area, one resident returned home to find a bear in a crawl space underneath their Altadena home.
According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), the utility company was attempting to restore power when they found a 525-pound adult male bear in a small crawl space they needed to gain access to.
To help expedite power restoration for the homeowners, CDFW Environmental Scientist Kevin Howells worked to quickly capture and relocate the bear.
According to the CDFW, Howells and a team of eight employees placed a bear trap near the crawlspace opening and within minutes, the bear came out of the crawlspace, walked in and triggered the trap door.
He was transported into Angeles National Forest and given a welfare check, GPS-collared, and measured before being safely released just after midnight.
Utilities were restored, and the crawl space was securely boarded and bear-proofed.
"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 CDFW said in a statement.