On Tuesday, January 6th, bear eviction experts were dispatched to a residence in Altadena, California to chase away a 550-pound male black bear from the basement. The BEAR League, a wildlife conservation organization from Lake Tahoe, told Fox News Digital on Thursday, January 8th that a team member entered the house and fired paintballs filled with vegetable oil.
Surveillance footage showed that since late November last year, the hefty bear had been coming in and out of a cramped space under Ken Johnson’s house.
Johnson mentioned that the bear had caused severe damage to his property, resulting in tens of thousands of dollars in losses. Additionally, the safety hazards it posed to the house’s structure and gas pipeline made the residence unsafe and unsuitable for living.
Johnson wrote on his GoFundMe page, “Shortly after the Eaton fire, I lost my job, and shortly after that, the bear started damaging my house. I have video footage showing it breaking the gas line, creating an extremely dangerous situation. For safety reasons, I had to shut off all water, electricity, and gas.”
For over a month, officials from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife had made several unsuccessful attempts to evict the bear. Johnson eventually reached out to the BEAR League for assistance. The organization’s rescue workers Scott and Dave were sent to provide help.
The BEAR League is a specialized organization in handling emergency bear evictions in the Lake Tahoe area, a large alpine lake located on the border of California and Nevada. Altadena, located seven hours north of Lake Tahoe, is known for its outdoor activities and beautiful scenery.
The organization expressed their satisfaction in helping Ken Johnson deal with the bear. They described using paintballs filled with vegetable oil to hit the bear’s buttocks, successfully completing the eviction task in less than 20 minutes.
According to the organization’s Facebook post, Scott, the most experienced emergency personnel, climbed under the house, fired paintballs at the bear’s back, and guided it out of the basement opening.
A core principle in wildlife management called “aversive conditioning” states that the thick skin and fat layer of bears hit by paintballs would cause temporary pain or discomfort but wouldn’t penetrate or cause serious injuries, effectively serving as a deterrent. Additionally, the loud “pop” sound from paintball gunshots would startle the bear, strengthening the eviction effects. Bears are intelligent animals and will remember negative experiences. After being driven away by paintballs, they learn to avoid human-inhabited areas.
To prevent the bear from returning to the basement to nest, the organization rented an electric shock mat to the homeowner. This allowed the homeowner time to repair and reinforce the basement. A video posted on social media by the organization demonstrated the mat’s effectiveness, as the bear quickly fled after receiving a shock upon touching it.
The organization emphasized that residents should be cautious with open basements, as inadequate protections essentially invite winter visitors like bears.
They further stated that with simple measures, people can coexist harmoniously with bears.
(This article referenced reporting from FOX NEWS)