Matt Bodourian and his family lost their home three weeks ago when the wildfires in California were at their peak. He joined FOX Weather to talk about their resilience in the weeks since the fire burned their home to the ground.
ALTADENA, Calif. – The Eaton Fire in Southern California forced evacuations, but a 525-pound bear didn’t get the memo, instead taking refuge beneath an empty home.
Last week, environmental scientist Kevin Howells with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) spent nearly 24 hours leading a team of eight to remove the massive male from an Altadena home’s crawl space.
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The Eaton Fire in Southern California forced evacuations, and when residents returned, one family discovered a 525-pound bear had taken refuge beneath their home.
(California Department of Fish and Wildlife)
When the homeowner eventually returned home from the fire, he was told his power could not be restored due to the bear’s presence where power crews needed to work. His next move was to contact state wildlife officers for assistance.
While the CDFW typically advises homeowners to wait for bears to leave on their own and then seal the crawl space, the need to restore the homeowner’s power prompted a more immediate intervention from Howells.
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Environmental scientist Kevin Howells with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife spent nearly 24 hours leading a team of eight to remove the massive bear from the home’s crawl space.
(California Department of Fish and Wildlife)
After assessing the crawlspace and the size of the bear, it became clear to him that tranquilizing was not an option. Howells and other experts determined that 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 agency said.
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Howells and other experts determined that a bear trap placed near the crawlspace opening would be the best decision given the situation.
(California Department of Fish and Wildlife)
The bear was transported in the trap into Angeles National Forest. Before being released, the CDFW said the bear was given a welfare check, measured and fitted with a GPS collar for tracking.
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The bear was transported in the trap into Angeles National Forest.
(California Department of Fish and Wildlife)
With the bear safely relocated, the homeowner’s utilities were quickly restored. The crawl space has since been secured with bear-proof materials.
With the bear safely relocated, the homeowner’s utilities were quickly restored.
(California Department of Fish and Wildlife)
“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,” wildlife foals warned.