A California man was alarmed to find that the cause of disturbances and damage around his property was an enormous black bear that had moved into the crawl space beneath his home.
Ken Johnson set up surveillance cameras near the entry to the space under the house, which later captured the 500-pound animal sneaking in and out every day.
“It was really big. I’ve seen him before, but he was going through the trash and then the next morning he’s coming out from underneath my house,” Johnson told KTLA at his Altadena residence.
Johnson said he had installed the camera after noticing that trash had been scattered over the ground and pieces of brick knocked off a wall.
The bear appears to have since taken up residency, with Johnson adding that he comes in and out from underneath him home “like he owns the place.”
However, despite Johnson light-heartedly referring to the bear as a “tenant,” he admits there have been times that have a little too close for comfort.
On Friday, while going outside to change the camera batteries he encountered the bear.
“I just glanced at the hole from standing up and [heard] a growl and a hiss, and I just ran,” he told KTLA, adding that it was unsettling to know that such a large animal was living just feet below him.
“It looks like a monster because the eyes are close together and then this big, wide head, and I wasn’t even sure what I was looking at,” he said.
Law enforcement has advised Johnson that staying indoors would help keep him safe. He added that calls to California Fish and Wildlife to help remove the bear went unanswered.
“I don’t need a bear for Christmas. I want to get rid of the bear for Christmas,” he said.
The Independent has contacted California Fish and Wildlife for comment regarding Johnson’s situation with the unwelcome tenant.
