Bear Evicted After Spending 37 Days Living in Tiny Crawl Space Under California Home

Bear Evicted After Spending 37 Days Living in Tiny Crawl Space Under California Home

BEAR League assisted in removing the animal out from under the house in Altadena

Gabrielle Rockson

Fri, January 9, 2026 at 3:18 PM UTC

4 min read

Bear Evicted After Spending 37 Days Living in Tiny Crawl Space Under California Home

NEED TO KNOW

After 37 days living in a crawl space underneath a house, a bear has finally been removed
The homeowner threatened to sue the California Department of Fish and Wildlife after they failed to evict the 550-lb. animal
The BEAR League stepped in and first responders from the organization were able to get bear out from under the house and off the property

A bear has finally been evicted after reportedly living under a homeowner’s property for over a month.

On Thursday, Jan. 8, the non-profit animal organization, BEAR League, revealed in a post on Facebook that they were able to assist in getting the animal out of the space.

PEOPLE previously reported that Altadena resident Kenneth Johnson had threatened to sue the California Department of Fish and Wildlife after they allegedly failed to evict the 550-lb. bear living underneath his house. The bear had been living there for 37 days, starting Nov. 30, according to the New York Post. It was finally removed on Tuesday, Jan. 6, per Fox News.

“A Southern California homeowner had a large male bear living under his house for more than a month before reaching out to the BEAR League for help,” BEAR League wrote on Facebook. “Estimated at over 500 pounds, the bear barely fit into the crawlspace and caused extensive damage to the home’s heating ducts.”

Toogee Sielsch via Storyful Bear living underneath California home — Toogee Sielsch via Storyful
Bear living underneath California home

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The organization added, “Concerned that the gas line may have been damaged, the homeowner shut off gas service just before Christmas.”

“After earlier removal attempts by state wildlife officials were unsuccessful, BEAR League first responders Scott and Dave traveled to the Los Angeles area to assist,” the organization continued. “Scott, one of our 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 crawl space opening.”

BEAR League also revealed that they placed a “loaned electric unwelcome mats to give the homeowner time to make repairs and secure the crawlspace to prevent another visit.”

PEOPLE has contacted the BEAR League and California Fish and Wildlife Department for comment.

In a video shared by the organization, the bear could be seen running out of the hole after hearing loud sounds. “Go away, go, go, go,” someone can be heard saying in the background. “He’s out!”

The clip then captured the bear returning later before running away again after trying to move the electric mat.

“I can hear him under there, and it's really scary when you hear the banging and crushing and scratching and stuff ... he's not happy," the homeowner told KABC.

While addressing Johnson's legal threat against the wildlife department, the BEAR League's Dave Fleishman said, “I saw that Ken was potentially looking at litigation against California Department of Fish and Wildlife because they kind of left him high and dry and fending for himself with this bear under the house.”

"He looked very relieved when we walked up, I'll say that," Fleishman told the outlet. "He looked even more relieved, and I would say even surprised, at how quickly we were able to do it, because literally from the time Scott started crawling under the house to the time the bear was out was less than 10 minutes."

Johnson also created a GoFundMe page to raise money to repair the damage caused by the bear. “Right after surviving the Eaton fire, I lost my job, and shortly after that the bear began tearing into the structure of my home,” he wrote.

“I have video footage of it twisting gas pipes, which created an extremely dangerous situation and forced me to shut off my utilities just to stay safe,” the homeowner continued.

“I’ve reached out for help, but the state has declined to get involved, leaving me fully responsible for the cost of removal,” Johnson added. “Professional traps, safety measures, and repairs are incredibly expensive, and I’m being forced to pay for all of it myself while unemployed.”

As of Friday, Jan. 9, Johnson has raised $2,112.

Read the original article on People

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