550-Pound Black Bear Finally Evicted from Underneath House in Altadena, California

ALTADENA, Calif. - After more than six weeks of an unusual - and increasingly frustrating - cohabitation, a 550-pound male black bear has been successfully removed from beneath an Altadena resident's home, bringing relief to homeowner Ken Johnson and ending a saga that drew national attention.

The bear, tagged by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife as Yellow 2120, first squeezed into the crawl space under Johnson's kitchen around Thanksgiving 2025. It remained there through Christmas and into the new year, causing extensive damage including twisted gas lines, ruptured heating ducts, toppled bricks, and thousands of dollars in repairs.

Johnson initially contacted the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), which attempted several non-lethal methods to dislodge the animal. Crews deployed air horns, cherry- and caramel-flavored bait, and even set a trap - which caught the wrong bear. The persistent bruin, previously relocated from the area about 10 miles away within the past year but which had returned, showed no interest in leaving.

Frustrated by the lack of progress, Johnson considered legal action against the agency. That's when the BEAR League, a nonprofit wildlife advocacy group based in Lake Tahoe, stepped in. On January 6, 2026, experienced responders from the organization crawled under the house, positioned themselves behind the bear, and used paintball guns fired nearby to scare it out.

Video footage captured the dramatic moment: the massive bear squeezed back through the narrow crawl space opening and lumbered away as the paintballs popped around it.

"These guys went in, they crawled in behind him and, boom, he was out," Johnson told reporters. "I couldn't believe it was so fast."

To prevent a quick return, the BEAR League installed an electrified mat over the entry point. When the bear attempted to re-enter two nights later, it received a mild shock and fled

The CDFW confirmed the bear's departure, noting that this is typical winter denning behavior for black bears seeking warm, safe spots. Altadena's location at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains makes such encounters common, especially following last year's Eaton wildfire, which displaced wildlife and may have contributed to bears seeking shelter in residential areas.

Experts emphasize that black bears are generally non-aggressive, and residents can reduce conflicts by securing trash, removing bird feeders, cleaning grills, and sealing crawl space access points.

Johnson expressed relief at reclaiming his home.

"I'm relieved - no more banging under the house and smelling him and wondering what's going on under there," he said.

While this particular bear appears to have moved on, officials note that bear activity remains prevalent in the foothill communities, and similar incidents could occur again. For now, Johnson's crawl space is bear-free - and soon to be properly secured.