A California homeowner says he is preparing legal action after a large black bear has been living beneath his house for more than a month — and state officials have reportedly stopped assisting in its removal.
Ken Johnson, who lives in Altadena, says a 500-pound black bear has been entering and exiting a crawl space under his home since before Thanksgiving. According to local reports, Johnson now plans to sue the California Department of Fish and Wildlife after being informed that the agency would no longer help capture or relocate the animal.
State Efforts End Without Resolution
Initially, wildlife officials attempted to address the situation by setting traps. However, those efforts resulted in the capture of a different, smaller bear. Afterward, experts tried to flush the correct bear out using air horns, a method Johnson believed was finally working.
That optimism quickly faded.
“I felt completely defeated,” Johnson said. “Suddenly it was just up to me. Am I supposed to stay awake every night listening for him or watching my phone?”
Escalating Damage and Safety Concerns
After being told he could no longer use bait to lure the bear out, Johnson says the only option left was to listen as the animal continued to move beneath his home, causing visible damage.
Surveillance footage reportedly shows the bear tearing through plastic materials and breaking a pipe under the house. As a result, Johnson shut off his gas supply on Christmas Eve and has been without hot water since.
“It’s exhausting,” he said. “You forget for a moment — then it hits you again. No hot showers, constant stress, always monitoring.”
The bear has also created messes outside the property, scattering trash throughout the yard and raising further safety concerns.
Allegations of Negligence
Johnson says the bear is tagged and known to the state, and that officials have dealt with it before. He argues that stepping back now amounts to negligence, causing both emotional distress and financial harm.
“If I kept score,” Johnson said, “it would be Bear 14, Homeowner 0.”
Legal analyst Alison Triessl told KTLA that the Department of Fish and Wildlife has a responsibility to protect homeowners when public safety is at risk. She noted that the agency’s own 19-page policy emphasizes proactive intervention in situations like this.
“Nowhere does it say the state should simply give up and leave the homeowner to deal with it alone,” Triessl said.
If the case proceeds and Johnson prevails, a court order requiring the bear’s removal would likely follow.
Broader Perspective
This case highlights the growing challenge of human-wildlife coexistence in areas where residential development overlaps with natural habitats. Balancing animal protection with human safety requires coordinated, science-based solutions — especially when wildlife presence poses real risks to homes and residents.
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