US News California: 500-pound bear known as "Hank the Tank" breaks into another Lake Tahoe home: "Lost all fear of people"

[tom_mai78101]

A 500-pound bear broke into a home in South Lake Tahoe on Friday — and it isn't the first time. The bear, known as "Hank the Tank," has broken into dozens of homes in the area and become quite a problem for locals, CBS Sacramento reports.

Locals are contemplating whether or not to have the bear killed, as they believe it may be the only option at this point.

The bear is well-known and now wanted by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. A spokesperson said the bear has damaged dozens of homes and is responsible for more than 150 calls.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife have been trying to track Hank for more than six months.

"These are neighborhoods, there's a lot of people around, traffic and cars. So, we have to do this in a way that is safe for both the public and the bear itself," said spokesperson Peter Tira. "This is a severely food habituated bear. What that means is this is a bear that has lost all fear of people and it sees people and homes as a source of food."

The most recent break-in took place on Catalina Drive Friday morning. The bear had broken a small window and squeezed into the home, where the homeowners had no idea how to get him out.

Officers responded and banged on the outside of the house until Hank came out the back door. They then stayed in the area to ensure he continued on his way without damaging or entering other homes.

500-pound bear known as "Hank the Tank" breaks into another Lake Tahoe home: "Lost all fear of people"

The bear has broken into dozens of homes and become quite a problem for locals.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[The Helper]

Aw man leave the bear alone. Send in the bear hunter or something and relocate it.

 

[The Helper]

Update - Very hungry bear ‘Hank the Tank’ is in fact three bears, DNA shows

DNA evidence has shown that the 500-pound black bear the public had nicknamed Hank the Tank is, in fact, at least three not-so-little bears who have damaged more than 30 properties around Lake Tahoe in recent months.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife on Thursday said it would soon begin trapping bears in the South Lake Tahoe area to tag the animals and collect evidence for genetic analysis. The bears will be released in a “suitable habitat” and the agency said no trapped animals will be euthanised as part of the project.

The bears are responsible for more than 150 incident reports in the region straddling Northern California and Nevada, including a break-in at a residence in the Tahoe Keys neighbourhood last week.

One of the Hanks smashed a window on Friday and squeezed into the house on Catalina Drive while the residents were at home, CBS Sacramento reported. Police responded and banged on the exterior of the house until Hank exited out the back door and disappeared into the woods.

Very hungry bear ‘Hank the Tank’ is in fact three bears, DNA shows

Officials say a trio of oversized bears is responsible for home invasions that had been blamed on a 500lb black bear dubbed Hank the Tank

www.theguardian.com