From California Department of Fish and Wildlife
CDFW is committed to helping both people and wildlife rebuild and recover from the Southern California fires. As part of that statewide effort, last week CDFW Environmental Scientist Kevin Howells spent nearly 24 hours leading a team of eight CDFW employees to remove a massive, 525-pound adult male bear from a crawl space beneath a home in Altadena.
The homeowner, along with neighbors in Altadena, had been evacuated due to the Eaton Fire. Once they returned, the utility company informed the resident that power couldn’t be restored, as there was a bear under the home where the company needed to work.
When a bear is in a crawlspace, CDFW recommends that homeowners contact the Department so that a wildlife professional can evaluate the situation and help determine ways that the homeowner can discourage the bear from using the crawlspace and seal the entrance immediately once the animal is out.
However, to help expedite power restoration for the homeowners, Howells worked to quickly capture and relocate the bear to the nearest suitable habitat. After assessing the crawlspace and size of bear, it became clear that chemical immobilization of the bear was not an option. Howells and other experts determined a bear trap placed near the crawlspace opening would be the best decision given the situation. Within minutes of placing the trap, the bear came out of the crawlspace, walked in and triggered the trap door.
The bear was transported in the trap into Angeles National Forest and given a welfare check, GPS-collared, and measured before being safely released just after midnight.
The homeowner’s utilities have been restored, and the crawl space was securely boarded and is now bear-proof. 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.
For more information on how to avoid human-wildlife conflict, head to CDFW’s website: https://wildlife.ca.gov/HWC/Black-Bears….
