[ad_1]
Though the state of California has certain squatters rights, it’s doubtful they apply to the many black bears roaming Los Angeles County — and according to a man in Altadena, one of them decided to move into his crawlspace and has refused to leave for several months.Now, he’s accusing the California Department of Fish and Wildlife of leaving him to deal with the enormous creature on his own, and plans to sue, KTLA-TV reported Sunday.According to 63-year-old Ken Johnson, the bear moved in just before Thanksgiving, and has wreaked havoc on his property ever since, the outlet said. “I can hear the plastic being shredded underneath, and one of the cameras picked it up just bulldozing through it. It’s a mess under there,” Johnson told the outlet. At first, CDFW set a bear trap near the crawl space, but allegedly abandoned further plans to help after accidentally capturing the wrong bear, KTLA said. Just when biologists started using air horns to force the bear out — and appeared to make some progress — they were ordered to cease operations, Johnson told the publication. “I felt very defeated. I just dropped. Now what? It’s all up to me, and I’m supposed to watch my phone when he comes out in the middle of the night? Or sleep in the kitchen and listen for him every night?” Ever since LA County was ravaged by the Eaton Fire in January, several bears have taken residence in evacuated homes, the Associated Press previously reported, including an enormous bear that had been lounging by a man’s pool and bringing food back into the crawl space at night. Though temperatures in Southern California are too warm for most bears to hibernate, they’re known to shack up below people’s homes for shelter. In January, a CDFW team spent nearly a full day removing a 525-pound bear from another home in Altadena, the department said in a previous social media post. After capturing it with a trap, officials tagged it and released it into the wild. “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,” CDFW wrote on social media following the incident.“Despite very limited staff, CDFW biologists have been in constant communication with this homeowner since this bear was reported entering his unsecured crawlspace in November,” department representatives told SFGATE in a statement Monday.“We remain committed to helping this homeowner and have never indicated otherwise,” they continued, adding that they’ve set up traps and cameras and attempted to haze the bear from the property.“CDFW has and will continue to engage with the homeowner to advise on hazing methodologies and the critical need to close the crawlspace, monitor cameras, and offer support to help ensure the bear leaves the crawlspace and finds more suitable habitat,” they said.But, according to Johnson, it’s still unclear when his unwanted roommate will vacate. After one of the cameras on his property captured an image of a broken pipe, he turned off his gas, he told the outlet. As a result, he hasn’t taken a hot shower since around Christmas Eve. “I’m just exhausted from the whole thing,” he said.“I get my mind off it for a little bit, and then suddenly I get flooded back with, oh that’s right, I can’t take a hot shower. I’ve got to monitor the situation all the time,” Johnson said.
Though the state of California has certain squatters rights, it’s doubtful they apply to the many black bears roaming Los Angeles County — and according to a man in Altadena, one of them decided to move into his crawlspace and has refused to leave for several months.
Now, he’s accusing the California Department of Fish and Wildlife of leaving him to deal with the enormous creature on his own, and plans to sue, KTLA-TV reported Sunday.
According to 63-year-old Ken Johnson, the bear moved in just before Thanksgiving, and has wreaked havoc on his property ever since, the outlet said. “I can hear the plastic being shredded underneath, and one of the cameras picked it up just bulldozing through it. It’s a mess under there,” Johnson told the outlet.
At first, CDFW set a bear trap near the crawl space, but allegedly abandoned further plans to help after accidentally capturing the wrong bear, KTLA said. Just when biologists started using air horns to force the bear out — and appeared to make some progress — they were ordered to cease operations, Johnson told the publication.
“I felt very defeated. I just dropped. Now what? It’s all up to me, and I’m supposed to watch my phone when he comes out in the middle of the night? Or sleep in the kitchen and listen for him every night?”
Ever since LA County was ravaged by the Eaton Fire in January, several bears have taken residence in evacuated homes, the Associated Press previously reported, including an enormous bear that had been lounging by a man’s pool and bringing food back into the crawl space at night. Though temperatures in Southern California are too warm for most bears to hibernate, they’re known to shack up below people’s homes for shelter. In January, a CDFW team spent nearly a full day removing a 525-pound bear from another home in Altadena, the department said in a previous social media post. After capturing it with a trap, officials tagged it and released it into the wild.
“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,” CDFW wrote on social media following the incident.
“Despite very limited staff, CDFW biologists have been in constant communication with this homeowner since this bear was reported entering his unsecured crawlspace in November,” department representatives told SFGATE in a statement Monday.
“We remain committed to helping this homeowner and have never indicated otherwise,” they continued, adding that they’ve set up traps and cameras and attempted to haze the bear from the property.
“CDFW has and will continue to engage with the homeowner to advise on hazing methodologies and the critical need to close the crawlspace, monitor cameras, and offer support to help ensure the bear leaves the crawlspace and finds more suitable habitat,” they said.
But, according to Johnson, it’s still unclear when his unwanted roommate will vacate. After one of the cameras on his property captured an image of a broken pipe, he turned off his gas, he told the outlet. As a result, he hasn’t taken a hot shower since around Christmas Eve.
“I’m just exhausted from the whole thing,” he said.
“I get my mind off it for a little bit, and then suddenly I get flooded back with, oh that’s right, I can’t take a hot shower. I’ve got to monitor the situation all the time,” Johnson said.
[ad_2]
