Posted on 01/01/2026 4:15:55 PM PST by nickcarraway
A homeowner says living with a bear under his house has pushed him to his breaking point. In an exclusive interview with KTLA’s Jillian Smukler, he revealed plans to sue the California Department of Fish and Wildlife after being told the state will no longer help.
Ken Johnson says the bear moved under his Altadena home just before Thanksgiving — and never left.
“If I kept track of everything I tried, it would be Bear 14, Homeowner 0,” said Johnson, using a sports analogy.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife initially stepped in, setting a trap near the crawl space. But instead of catching the large bear under Johnson’s home, the trap caught a smaller bear — the wrong one.
That bear was hauled away, and the bigger bear stayed put. Biologists later tried again, using air horns to flush the bear out.
Johnson says it looked like it was finally working — until he says they suddenly got a call ordering them to stand down.
“I felt very defeated. I just dropped. Now what? It’s all up to me, and I’m supposed to watch my phone when he comes out in the middle of the night? Or sleep in the kitchen and listen for him every night?” Johnson told KTLA.
He even asked if he could still use bait to lure the bear out. “No, can’t do that,” he said he was told.
Since then, Johnson says he can hear the bear moving around, presumably causing damage.
“I can hear the plastic being shredded underneath, and one of the cameras picked it up just bulldozing through it. It’s a mess under there,” Johnson said.
A video of a broken pipe prompted him to shut off his gas on Christmas Eve, and he hasn’t had any hot water since.
“I’m just exhausted from the whole thing,” he said. “I get my mind off it for a little bit, and then suddenly I get flooded back with, oh that’s right, I can’t take a hot shower. I’ve got to monitor the situation all the time,” Johnson said.
Now, Johnson says he plans to sue, accusing the department of negligence and emotional distress.
“This has gone on long enough, and it’s something that they should deal with. It’s a tagged bear. They’ve dealt with it before. They chose not to euthanize it, and now it’s back and it’s just going to keep on doing this,” Johnson said.
KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl says the department has a duty to protect homeowners when there’s a public safety threat, and Johnson may have grounds to take this to court.
“This homeowner certainly can prove that this bear is causing damage and is a threat to his safety,” Triessl said.
While she doesn’t know if or how much money Johnson would get from the lawsuit, she believes if he wins, a court order to remove the bear is likely.
“The Department of Fish and Wildlife actually has a 19-page policy when it comes to situations just like this, and over and over it says do all that you can to remedy the situation. But nowhere does it say that they should simply give up and have the homeowner deal with it on their own and wait it out,” Triessl said.
KTLA reached out to the department multiple times regarding Johnson’s claims, but the agency had not responded as of Sunday evening.
Stop dealing with the state. Can the county help him? They must have county animal control. They would probably tell him to work with the state but that hasn’t worked so I’d keep after just plain county animal control!!
“”If photo is true - that bear has an ear tag””
I thought that was just a photo that was handy..I wonder is it really THE one? As big as it is, it’s hard to believe it can get in and out of that hole if it IS the one in the story.
I can’t figure out what he expects them to do - just shoot it dead and drag it out?
Maybe now he’s learned the value of securing one’s crawlspace when living in bear country...
If it wasn’t Commie California, you would just shoot the damn thing and have your neighbors swear that it attacked you, but it is Commie California so you just put up with it and whine on social media.
This is what voting democrat gets people.
Not saying he did, necessarily, but when democrats are in power, you’re on your own.
I wonder if dropping a box of mothballs would work, although the warnings on the box do say it’s not to be used in violation of the instructions.
There has to be something smelly that would drive the bear out.
The problem is, bears have good memories and he’ll be back if the homeowner doesn’t do something to bear proof the crawlspace.
44 Magum. 280 grain hard cast.
Then shut the hell up.
L
Mothballs and smelling salts launched with a slingshot
thats apparently a lot easier than a live one.
wonder if the bear now has squaters rights
That has to be the most screwed up administration in the entire world.
I got rid of a raccoon once by pouring a gallon of ammonia under the floor boards every day for almost a week. It’s as potent as fire with fewer nasty side effects.
But I’m not in CA where bear lives matter. In PA, men would be paying good money in a church raffle for a shot at that bear.
Moth balls might work.
It will leave in spring.
Right now, LA is like the Spring.
Wonder if he has tried putting donuts in the crawl space of his least favorite neighbor’s house and then nailing inch thick plywood over the bear exit when it leaves his house to head to the neighbor’s place for snacks.
Then there is the old industrial fan trick. Maybe a constant blast of cold air will make it a less suitable denning site.
Put a sign over the bear den that says “Somali Bearing Center” and register for grants. Then eat the bear. No officials will come and check on its welfare.
He even asked if he could still use bait to lure the bear out. “No, can’t do that,” he said he was told.
There’s no need to use a suppressed rifle on New Year’s Eve around midnight. Wouldn’t have been noticed in the slightest.
LA County animal control won’t deal with bears. No equipment to even haul it away if a deputy shot it.
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