The hibernation season for bears runs from late fall to the spring, so we're right in the middle of it. In most cases, bears are pretty hard to find during these winter months. So, it's not super likely that you'll see one of these guys out and about. Unless, of course, you're like Ken Johnson, who had one of these furry creatures hiding right under his nose. For 37 days, no less.
Videos by Wide Open Country
In an interview with AP, Johnson, who lives in Altadena, California, said he discovered a bear had started making its den right underneath his house around Thanksgiving. Turns out, the 550-pound creature had chosen to hide in Ken's crawl space and was getting pretty comfortable.
Surveillance videos caught the creature on camera, revealing that it had messed up a few gas lines in its path. Luckily, Ken knew just who to call.
He reached out to the BEAR League, a nonprofit organization whose mission is "living in harmony with bears." Dave Fleishman, a BEAR League spokesperson, called the bear an "old soul."
I think he just wanted a quiet place for the winter," Fleishman shared. "But he'd done a tremendous amount of damage to Ken's house. And so, you don't want Ken's house to burn down or the rest of Altadena to burn down because of a ruptured gas line."
The team was able to get the bear out in about 20 minutes.
How the BEAR League Got the Bear Out of Ken's Home
Ann Bryant, the founder and executive director of the BEAR League, revealed the special technique that allowed the crew to draw the bear out safely but effectively.
Using paintballs filled with vegetable oil, Bryant shared that the team barraged the bear's den with shots until the creature finally decided to crawl out. It was then that Ken decided to take an extra precaution to make sure that his new friend didn't try to nest up again.
Using plywood and sandbags, Johnson told the New York Post he covered his crawl space. He also used an electric mat that proved incredibly effective. Just this week, the bear came back, but Johnson shared that once he hit the mat, he "scurried away into darkness."
"There's the relief — it feels like, you know, you had a bunch of dinner guests over and now the party's over — well it wasn't a party — but you know they're gone, and now you've got a bunch of dirty dishes and empty glasses to deal with," Johnson told the AP.
It sounds like Johnson got the bear fiasco under control, but we can't help but feel a little sorry for the furry creature. Better luck next year!
