Things are quite challenging for a homeowner in California.
Imagine losing sleep, dealing with unusual odors, and enduring damage, all because there’s a 550-pound bear cozying up beneath your home.
“It’s way more stressful than I anticipated,” Ken Johnson shared recently, reflecting on the 11 days since this hefty bear claimed the crawl space under his Altadena residence.
His friends have affectionately dubbed the bear “Intolerable,” but that’s just one of its many nicknames. Others include Victor, Bruno, and Barney.
While Johnson has a fondness for wildlife, he admitted it’s been hard to witness the bear struggling to find its way out.
Life has shifted dramatically for him since the bear’s arrival. As he sits at the kitchen table working, he hears the unmistakable sound of the bear moving around underneath.
At night, the noise is even more unsettling. “I woke up, turned, and wondered if it was under my bed. Sleep has been elusive,” he confessed.
There’s visible damage that will likely be costly to fix. “I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop,” he exclaimed.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is attempting to assist Johnson by placing a Cambrian box trap filled with enticing foods like fried chicken, apples, and even shrimp to lure the bear out.
According to a spokesperson, these traps can be quite effective.
However, the contents of the trap, though appealing to bears, aren’t exactly pleasant for Johnson. “It smells terrible. Sure, the food is tasty—but it’s not something I’d want to eat a lot of. It really makes me feel nauseous,” he noted.
He shares his home with a cat named “Boo,” who seems intrigued by the new lodger. “Boo can definitely smell and hear the bear. He’s always running around trying to catch a glimpse of it,” Johnson said.
Since the news of the Altadena bear went public, Johnson has been inundated with photographers and curious onlookers eager for a sighting.
Unfortunately, this attention seems to have unsettled the bear.
He hopes that things will quiet down soon, allowing him to “stop poking the bear and just let it be.”
After a tough year marked by setbacks in his photography business due to fire-related damages, Johnson longs for a return to normalcy. And now, it’s this bear that complicates matters.
“Having him here has been quite interesting, but honestly, nothing seems to work out,” he reflected.
