Authorities in South Lake Tahoe in California made a special trap attempt to trap a 500-pound black bear known as “Hank the Tank”.
According to authorities, Hank was “easily identifiable because of the [his] exceptionally large size and dark coat with lighter muzzle”.
The average weight of a black bear in the western United States ranges from 100lb to 300lb, based on Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Hank appears much larger.
Since last July, Hank has broken into at least 28 homes in and around the Tahoe Keys area. Described as an “extremely fond of food”, Hank has also caused extensive property damage in more than 30 documented cases. Local residents have filed at least 102 police reports about Hank.
“Finding leftover pizza is easier than going into the woods,” said Peter Tira, a spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. based on The New York Times.
The authorities used the combination deterrence includes a loud siren, which blows up their duty parts, makes “the rattle the bears hate”, and pea rings. However, none of these methods have proven to be successful.
Tira said: “This is a bear that has lost all fear of humans. “It’s a potentially dangerous situation.”
Ann Bryant, chief executive officer of Bear League, a California-based wildlife rescue service, notes that it’s still unclear how Hank got his human taste but positive that “he didn’t get so fat eating berries and dust”.
On Friday, the South Lake Tahoe police department responded to reports of a bear inside a home. Hank broke in through a small window and ducked inside.
Police stormed outside the house until he appeared and left through the back door. The authorities note that residents can sign up for a bear box, a lockable container that campers often use to protect food, for a fee.
As efforts to trap Hank repeatedly fail, authorities said they may need to consider appeasing the bear, which they consider their “last option”.
Earlier this year, the authorities remove a bear trap after someone sprayed “Bear Killer” on it.
“He just sat there and ate. He did not attack them. He didn’t growl. He doesn’t make rude faces… Why does this big dummy have to die? “Bryant told time.
