Bear Trapped Under Home in California Mistakenly Captures Another Animal

A bear trap aimed at capturing a 550-pound bear nesting under a house in Altadena, California, captured an unintended animal instead. This incident was reported by local media.

This snafu is yet another failed effort to remove the black bear that has been hiding under the property for over a month.

Surveillance footage revealed that the bear had been frequently coming and going from a narrow space beneath homeowner Ken Johnson’s house since late November.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) set the trap on December 9, after several unsuccessful attempts to scare the bear away using noise makers and bait, according to reports.

About a week later, Johnson noticed the sound of metal cages rattling inside his home, quickly realizing they had trapped the wrong bear.

As he explained, “CDFW biologists set bait traps, installed monitoring cameras, and repeatedly tried to keep the bear at bay.”

The agency suggested that if bears are spotted returning frequently, it’s essential for homes to have covered crawl spaces. Closing off access points can be critical to prevent bears from looping back to places they shouldn’t be.

The bear was eventually tagged and relocated to a more suitable habitat, as stated by the department. Johnson had even resorted to setting off a loud alarm and playing dog barks for long periods in an effort to frighten the bear away—but nothing worked.

Bear sightings aren’t rare in Altadena, which is near the San Gabriel Mountains. Johnson and his neighbors often spot bears, especially on garbage collection days. Interestingly, there was another bear that attempted to access the same crawl space but quickly fled when it encountered the resident bear.

Despite the capture’s failure, CDFW is still dedicated to removing wildlife from residential areas. They emphasized their commitment to helping Californians deal with unwanted encounters with wildlife, which can disrupt everyday life.

Officials acknowledged their limited resources, but emphasized their ongoing communication with Johnson since the bear was first reported in November, underlining their commitment to finding a solution for the homeowner.