The Daily Populous Thursday January 1st, 2026 morning edition
Authored by abcnews.go.com and submitted by aresef

According to the homeowner, the bear has damaged a gas line under the home.

California homeowner says 550-pound black bear is living under his house

This bear is reportedly living in the crawl space under one home in Altadena, California.

According to one homeowner in Altadena, California, a black bear has been living in the crawl space under his home for over a month.

This bear is reportedly living in the crawl space under one home in Altadena, California. Ken Johnson via Storyful

Ken Johnson, 63, the owner of the house, told KABC that the 550-pound bear sounds like a dragon and scares him. The bear even damaged a gas line, causing him to have to shut off the gas.

"I thought he'd be long gone by now. It's unnerving," Johnson said to KABC. "I think the longer he's there, the more comfortable he's going to be, and this won't end."

Cort Klopping, a spokesperson for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), told ABC News that the agency has been working with Johnson to remedy the situation.

“Despite very limited staff, CDFW biologists have been in constant communication with this homeowner since this bear was reported entering his unsecured crawlspace in November. We remain committed to helping this homeowner and have never indicated otherwise," Klopping said.

He added, "CDFW biologists have set up traps with bait, installed cameras and lights for remote monitoring, and worked repeatedly to haze the bear from this property."

According to the CDFW, thousands of black bears are spotted every year in the state; however, the threat to residents is low.

"Presently, the statewide black bear population size is estimated to be between 49,000-71,000," according to CDFW.

The BEAR League, a California nonprofit dedicated to protecting bears, says that homeowners should secure their crawl spaces in the winter to deter ursine visitors.

"Bears are experts in fitting into the smallest of openings under houses and decks, and once they're in, they make themselves at home, which can result in thousands of dollars in damage," a BEAR League YouTube video says.

pmjm on January 1st, 2026 at 04:24 UTC »

I'm local to this story and have been following it closely. To answer questions a lot of people have asked:

Why not tranquilize it? Because then what do yuou do? How do you get an unconscious 550 lb dead weight out from a tight space? Why not set a trap? They tried that, and filled the trap with foods bears would find delicious. They ended up catching a different bear. 😂

Yoshmaster on January 1st, 2026 at 03:30 UTC »

Stayed at an Airbnb in the Longbarn area and there was a stench in the bathroom we couldn’t place. The next morning the smell was gone and the crawl space door was open. We assumed it had to be a bear.

mtheory007 on January 1st, 2026 at 02:11 UTC »

Sounds to me like you may be living above its house.