Video shows 525-pound bear finally emerge from underneath California home after wildfires
When a resident in Southern California returned home in the aftermath of devastating wildfires, an unlikely guest was there to greet him: a huge 525-pound black bear.
Altadena resident Samy Arbid and his neighbors had evacuated their homes due to the Eaton Fires. When they returned, Arbid found the unexpected guest hiding in his house that escaped from the fire, California Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a Jan. 29 post on Facebook. The "massive, 525-pound adult male bear" was found in a crawl space beneath the home when a utility company came to restore power in the house.
“I think during the fire he pretty much stayed there. I think he was scared,” Arbid told local media outlets, according to Storyful, adding he "couldn't believe it" when he saw the animal in the crawl space. The bear, nicknamed Barry, is well-known to neighborhood residents, who have seen him roaming around the area, ABC7 reported.
According to the local media outlet, the bear had been in the crawl space before the fires broke out and Arbid had been devising a plan to remove it.
Video shows bear crawl out from underneath home
"After assessing the crawlspace and size of bear, it became clear that chemical immobilization of the bear was not an option," CDFW said, adding their team of experts led by CDFW environmental scientist Kevin Howells "determined a bear trap placed near the crawlspace opening would be the best decision given the situation."
Fortunately for them, the bear came out of the crawlspace and triggered the trap door within minutes of placing the trap, CDFW said. Once in the trap, the bear was taken to Angeles National Forest, where it received a welfare check and a GPS collar before being safely released back into the wild just after midnight.
Video footage captured by the homeowner's security camera shows the bear coming out of the crawl space after spotting the treats the department had laid out for him. Treats included a feast of apples, peanut butter, sardines in tomato sauce, chicken meat and butterscotch lure, a CDFW spokesperson told Paste BN.
The effort took Howells and his team of eight nearly 24 hours, CDFW said.
Crawl space bear-proofed
The homeowner’s utilities, meanwhile, were also restored, while the "crawl space was securely boarded and is now bear-proof," CDFW said, urging residents in the foothills of bear country to close crawl spaces with bear-proof material to prevent bears from denning there and damaging property.
CDFW also advises homeowners to reach out to the department if they ever find a bear in a crawlspace so "that a wildlife professional can evaluate the situation and help determine ways that the homeowner can discourage the bear from using the crawlspace and seal the entrance immediately once the animal is out."
California wildfires contained
The Eaton and Palisades fires, which sparked last month, have been fully contained after dealing destruction, smoke, and ash around the Los Angeles area, according to Cal Fire.
The two fires sparked on Jan. 7 during a historic wind event and swept through the Pacific Palisades and Altadena, killing at least 29, burning over 37,000 acres, or 57.8 square miles, and leaving destroyed homes and livelihoods in their wake.
The blazes, currently under investigation, are the second and third most destructive wildfires in California history, according to Cal Fire.
Contributing: James Powel, Paste BN
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for Paste BN. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.