Imagine knowing there's a 550-pound bear living directly beneath your feet. That's been Ken Johnson's reality for more than a month now, and despite the best efforts of California wildlife officials, his uninvited houseguest shows no signs of leaving.
The Wrong Bear Gets Trapped
The saga started when a male black bear, tagged as Yellow 2120, managed to squeeze into the crawl space under Johnson's Altadena home. On December 9, biologists from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife set up a trap, baiting it with caramel and cherry-flavored treats and using noisemakers to try flushing the animal out, according to the Los Angeles Times.
But here's where it gets interesting: the trap worked. Sort of. On December 16, wildlife officials successfully caught a bear. Just not the right one.
"I knew my bear hadn't gone out because I've got enough cameras on it," Johnson said. The captured bear was tagged and released in a nearby habitat, while Yellow 2120 remained exactly where he'd been the whole time.
"I just don't feel completely at home in my own house, as long as he's under there," Johnson added.
DIY Deterrents and Damaged Infrastructure
Johnson hasn't been sitting idle. He's tried a clattering burglar alarm, CDs of dogs barking, and speakers pointed into the vents. None of it has convinced Yellow 2120 to relocate.
Meanwhile, the bear has caused real damage. He's somehow managed to turn on a gas line under the house, forcing Johnson to live without hot water. "It's really awful," Johnson said. "I could hear him moving around. It was like a house of horrors."
The Department of Fish and Wildlife eventually removed the trap altogether, acknowledging that Yellow 2120—who had been previously trapped and relocated near Altadena—would likely recognize and avoid it. The bear's continued presence underscores the mounting challenge of coexisting with wildlife in the San Gabriel Mountains foothills, where suburban development increasingly overlaps with natural habitats.
When Wildlife Management Goes Wrong
The Altadena situation isn't unique in generating controversy around wildlife enforcement. Last year in New York, the seizure and euthanasia of "Peanut," a social media-famous squirrel, sparked widespread public outrage. Peanut was seized from a private home following complaints about illegal possession and the presence of a raccoon, then euthanized under state rabies protocols despite efforts to transfer the animal to a licensed rehabilitator.
Both cases illustrate the intense scrutiny wildlife officials face when enforcing laws, even when public safety concerns are legitimate. The difference, of course, is that Yellow 2120 weighs 550 pounds and has effectively taken Johnson's home hostage.