A Southern California homeowner says his life was turned upside down after wildlife officials declined to remove a massive black bear that took up residence beneath his house.
Kenneth Johnson, 63, claims the estimated 550-pound male bear crawled into the crawl space of his Altadena property… valued at roughly $1.5 million… just days before Thanksgiving. According to Johnson, repeated calls to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife led to a surprising outcome: authorities captured a smaller bear in the area but left the much larger animal behind.
Johnson says officials warned him not to attempt to force the bear out himself, leaving him feeling trapped in his own home. Frustrated and fearful, he took matters into his own hands by setting up a burglar alarm to create loud metallic noises and blasting hours of dog barking through speakers aimed at the home’s vents.
Now, Johnson says the emotional toll has become unbearable. He is threatening legal action against the state agency, accusing it of negligence and claiming the situation caused severe stress and anxiety for him and his family.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has not yet commented publicly on Johnson’s potential lawsuit or why the larger bear was not removed.
