Kenneth Johnson (inset) discovered a massive black bear had taken up residence in the crawl space of his $1.5 million Altadena home just before Thanksgiving. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife attempted to capture the bear with bait and noisemakers, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Johnson even threatened to sue the department after they allegedly stopped helping with the removal. The 63-year-old finally had a stroke of luck when experts with the BEAR League stepped in. Volunteers from the non-profit organization, which aims to help people live in harmony with bears, traveled from Lake Tahoe to Los Angeles to help Johnson. One of the organization’s most experienced responders crawled beneath the home — fully aware the bear was still there — to get behind him and encourage him to exit through the crawlspace opening. Johnson said he was relieved that the bear is gone. “No more banging under the house and smelling him, wondering what’s going on under there,” said Johnson. BEAR also loaned Johnson electric unwelcome mats to give him time to make repairs and secure the crawlspace to prevent another visit. Nevertheless, the bear did attempt to return two days later, but by then the crawlspace entrance had been boarded up and an electric mat placed in front of it.
