Wildlife officials rescued a 525-pound bear that was hiding underneath a home that was evacuated during the Eaton Fire.
When evacuations were lifted and the owner of the Altadena home returned, the utility company said power couldn’t be restored to the property since a large bear was residing in the crawl space where workers needed to access.
Wildlife experts from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife arrived at the home and after assessing the crawlspace and the bear’s large size, they determined that tranquilization would not be a feasible option.
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The bear was hiding in a crawlspace underneath an Altadena home that was evacuated during the Eaton Fire. (California Department of Fish and Wildlife) -
Wildlife officials rescued a 525-pound bear that was hiding underneath an Altadena home that was evacuated during the Eaton Fire. (California Department of Fish and Wildlife) -
The bear was hiding in a crawlspace underneath an Altadena home that was evacuated during the Eaton Fire. (California Department of Fish and Wildlife) -
The 525-pound bear was safely transported to the Angeles National Forest where it was released. (California Department of Fish and Wildlife)
They decided to place a bear trap near the crawlspace entrance instead. Within minutes, the bear came out of the crawlspace, walked inside and triggered the trap door closed.
The bear was safely transported to the Angeles National Forest. After officials administered a welfare check and attached a GPS collar, the bear was released into the forest.
Wildlife officials said the Altadena home has since been bear-proofed and the crawl space was securely boarded up to prevent animals from entering in the future.
“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 officials said.
