‘Big boy’ — weighing 525 pounds — found hiding under California home after wildfire
A massive bear — weighing a quarter ton — was found hiding beneath a home evacuated during a raging wildfire, California wildlife officials say.
When the Altadena homeowner returned last week after Eaton Fire evacuation orders were lifted, a utility company informed the resident the power could not be turned back on, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a Jan. 29 Facebook post.
A massive bear was in the home’s crawl space, preventing the company from doing its work, officials said.
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For the next 24 hours, Environmental Scientist Kevin Howells worked with a team of eight to remove the 525-pound bear, according to officials.
Upon assessing the crawl space and sheer size of the bear, Howells and his team determined tranquilizing the bear was not an option, officials said.
Instead, they decided the best bet was to put a trap near the crawlspace opening in hopes the bear might wander in.
And, sure enough, “within minutes of placing the trap,” the bear left the crawl space and entered the trap, officials said.
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Officials said they took the trapped bear to Angeles National Forest, where it was medically assessed, given a GPS collar and measured.
Then, “just after midnight,” officials released the bear.
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Photos shared by officials show the bear’s massive size, which Facebook users were quick to comment on.
“That’s a big boy,” one user said, while another commented, “Man that’s a big bear.”
The home’s utilities were restored, officials said, adding that the crawl space was boarded and secured to make it 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,” officials said.
Altadena is about a 15-mile drive northeast from downtown Los Angeles.
This story was originally published January 30, 2025 at 11:59 AM with the headline "‘Big boy’ — weighing 525 pounds — found hiding under California home after wildfire."
