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15h ago

500-Pound Bear Evicted From Altadena Home After Weeks Under Crawl Space

A Tahoe nonprofit’s paintballs plus an electrified mat ended the crawl-space standoff with tagged bear Yellow 2120.

Image
FILE - Homeowner Ken Johnson stands outside his house with trash scattered across the driveway after a bear took refuge in a crawl space at his property in Altadena, Calif., Dec. 1, 2025, as a reporter surveying the scene casts a shadow on a wall. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
FILE - A bear warning sign is posted at the Basher trailhead in Anchorage, Alaska, on July 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen, File)
FILE - A bear lies inside a crawl space beneath a home in Altadena, Calif., Dec. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

Overview

  • CDFW confirmed the bear that had been living beneath Ken Johnson’s Altadena home has left.
  • BEAR League volunteers entered the crawl space on Jan. 6 and used paintball rounds to drive the animal out, then set an electric “unwelcome” mat at the opening.
  • Surveillance video showed the ear-tagged bear, known as Yellow 2120, attempt to return before retreating after stepping on the mat.
  • The bear occupied the space for roughly five to six weeks and caused extensive damage, including suspected gas-line issues that led Johnson to shut off service.
  • State biologists had tried traps, bait and hazing for weeks, once capturing a different bear; Johnson has since secured the entrance and started a GoFundMe to cover repairs.