Watch: 500-pound bear found squatting, living 'rent-free' in California home
Once Johnson saw the destruction around his home, he decided to set up security cameras. The surveillance footage showed the uninvited guest squeezing himself in and out of the tiny crawl space multiple times.
500-pound bear moves into a crawl space under a California home
A Southern California resident found a 500-pound bear living beneath his home last week. As of Monday, the bear was still squatting under his house.
A homeowner in Southern California discovered an unusual squatter on his property: a 500-pound bear living underneath his house.
The resident, Ken Johnson, became suspicious after noticing items around his property in Altadena were knocked over or damaged.
"It was really big. I’ve seen him before, but he was going through the trash and then the next morning he’s coming out from underneath my house," Johnson said.
BEAR FALLS THROUGH CEILING OF HOME AFTER CLIMBING LADDER, SQUEEZING INTO ATTIC
Once Johnson saw the destruction around his home, he decided to set up security cameras.
The surveillance footage showed the uninvited guest squeezing himself in and out of the tiny crawl space multiple times.
Surveillance camera footage revealed a massive bear squeezing out of the crawl space under Ken Johnson's house.
(Ken Johnson via Storyful / FOX Weather)
"Someone said that he doesn't hibernate because this is California, but they den," Johnson said in an interview with FOX Affiliate, KTTV. "So, he's making that his den for the winter."
The homeowner believes that the large brown bear has been living beneath his home since June.
"I can hear him when I'm in the kitchen watching TV at night, I can hear him moving around under there," Johnson said. "And he tries to get out, everything kind of shakes."
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About a week ago, the situation escalated when Johnson attempted to change the batteries in the surveillance cameras. As he was near the crawl space, he heard a loud growl from the bear, causing Johnson to sprint away.
Massive bear squeezes into California home's crawl space
Ken Johnson found a 500-pound bear living underneath his California house. He believes that the bear has been living beneath his home since June.
He called the Altadena Sheriff’s Department, where they advised him to stay indoors and to fill out a form to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
But as of Monday, the bear was still living underneath Johnson’s home.
"This is ridiculous," Johnson said. "I mean…destroying that entrance to the thing and crawling under there and just staying. He's not paying rent. Squatter living rent-free in my house."