Bear Removed from Under SoCal Home After Months of Occupancy
A nearly two-month-long occupation by a bear under an Altadena home has come to an end, thanks to the efforts of wildlife experts and a specialized rescue team.
The bear, nicknamed Yellow 2120, made its way into the homeowner's crawlspace in late November and had been living there ever since. The homeowner, Ken Johnson, reported that the bear was spotted on Wednesday and was shocked by an electrified doormat used by professionals to capture bears. Initially, the bear wandered around the house but eventually realized it couldn't re-enter its makeshift hibernation spot.
Johnson described the experience as "terrifying," stating he could hear the bear's distress calls and scratching sounds from beneath the house. The homeowner expressed frustration with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which allegedly left him to fend for himself against the bear.
The Bear League, a Lake Tahoe-based nonprofit, stepped in to assist with the removal. Their team's experience proved invaluable, as they were able to humanely capture the elderly bear using a combination of pressure and timing. Johnson expressed relief at the speed of the rescue operation, which took less than 10 minutes from the moment the team began work.
Despite the successful removal, the whereabouts of Yellow 2120 remain unknown. As the situation continues to unfold, concerns about wildlife-human conflict and inadequate state support for homeowners facing similar issues persist.
A nearly two-month-long occupation by a bear under an Altadena home has come to an end, thanks to the efforts of wildlife experts and a specialized rescue team.
The bear, nicknamed Yellow 2120, made its way into the homeowner's crawlspace in late November and had been living there ever since. The homeowner, Ken Johnson, reported that the bear was spotted on Wednesday and was shocked by an electrified doormat used by professionals to capture bears. Initially, the bear wandered around the house but eventually realized it couldn't re-enter its makeshift hibernation spot.
Johnson described the experience as "terrifying," stating he could hear the bear's distress calls and scratching sounds from beneath the house. The homeowner expressed frustration with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which allegedly left him to fend for himself against the bear.
The Bear League, a Lake Tahoe-based nonprofit, stepped in to assist with the removal. Their team's experience proved invaluable, as they were able to humanely capture the elderly bear using a combination of pressure and timing. Johnson expressed relief at the speed of the rescue operation, which took less than 10 minutes from the moment the team began work.
Despite the successful removal, the whereabouts of Yellow 2120 remain unknown. As the situation continues to unfold, concerns about wildlife-human conflict and inadequate state support for homeowners facing similar issues persist.
they're like the real MVPs. I feel bad for Ken Johnson tho, leaving him to deal with that bear all by himself is harsh 
. The doormat thingy is genius though 
who knew it could be used as a trap? the 10 min rescue time is crazy fast too! now let's hope they find Yellow 2120 and give it a safe home 
I feel so bad for Ken Johnson, the homeowner, he must've been freaked out for real. And yeah, the state should be doing more to help people dealing with wild animals invading their homes. It's just not fair. The fact that it took the Bear League to step in and save the day is a good thing, but what about all the others who might not have access to those resources? 
This whole situation just highlights how unpredictable and scary wildlife can be. Glad everyone is safe though, but can we please get some answers on what happened with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife? 
this whole thing is just wild, like a bad horror movie! i mean, what r we even doin' out here in cali? first it's bears, then wildfires, and dont even get me started on the earthquakes 
ken johnson deserves all the credit 4 stayin calm during that ordeal, but w/ no backup from wildlife orgs?!? that's just unacceptable 
but seriously though, this is crazy. i mean, that homeowner must've been freaking out for months, hearing that bear's distress calls and stuff. and to make matters worse, the Cal Dept of Fish and Wildlife just kinda leaves people to deal with it on their own? not cool.
, but now we gotta wonder where Yellow 2120 went after all that drama 
. it's like, how many more wildlife conflicts are gonna happen 'cause nobody's doing enough to help people out when they need it? 
just thinking about it is giving me the chills 
.
kinda sad the gov't didn't do more to prevent this situation from happenin in the first place 
glad the Bear League stepped in, they did a great job 
! Can you imagine having a bear living in your crawlspace? 
It's like something out of a horror movie! And poor Ken, he had to deal with this for months while the Cal Department of Fish and Wildlife just kinda... left him to it 
, but now the bear is still MIA 
Just saying!
The rescue team did a great job, no doubt, but what about those who can't afford that kinda help? 
We need better protocols in place for situations like this. And btw, where did Yellow 2120 end up after the rescue? 
. And poor Ken Johnson, he was literally hearing the bear's distress calls from under the house... that must've been super traumatic for him 
. I'm glad the Bear League stepped in to help remove the bear humanely (and quickly, btw, 10 min is crazy fast!). Now we just need to find out where Yellow 2120 went next 
Genius move by those pros who caught the bear off guard (literally)! I'm all for innovative solutions, but I hope they never have to use it on a human... 
And seriously, how can we prevent these situations in the future? More wildlife support and awareness, please! 
and idk about the cal department of fish & wildlife tho, seems like they were pretty clueless about dealing w/ this situation... 
btw, i hope ken johnson gets some compensation 4 all the stress he went thru 
anyway, it's kinda sad that the california department of fish and wildlife didn't do more to help ken out initially... like, they're supposed to be protecting the animals and humans alike