A California man got the shock of his life when he discovered the source of mysterious disturbances around his property: a massive black bear had made its home in the crawl space beneath his house.
Ken Johnson, who lives in Altadena, set up surveillance cameras near the entry to the space under his home, and the footage revealed a 500-pound bear sneaking in and out every day.
“It was really big. I’ve seen him before, but he was going through the trash and then the next morning he’s coming out from underneath my house,” Johnson told KTLA.
Johnson said he installed the cameras after noticing trash scattered around and pieces of brick knocked off a wall. The bear now appears to have fully moved in, coming and going “like he owns the place,” according to Johnson.
Despite jokingly referring to the bear as a “tenant,” Johnson admitted there have been a few tense encounters. On Friday, he ran into the bear while changing the camera batteries.
“I just glanced at the hole from standing up and [heard] a growl and a hiss, and I just ran,” he said. “It was unsettling knowing such a large animal was living just feet below me. It looks like a monster because the eyes are close together and then this big, wide head, and I wasn’t even sure what I was looking at.”
Law enforcement has advised Johnson to stay indoors for his safety, but calls to California Fish and Wildlife to remove the bear reportedly went unanswered.
“I don’t need a bear for Christmas. I want to get rid of the bear for Christmas,” Johnson said.
With a 500-pound intruder living just beneath his feet, Johnson’s holiday season is shaping up to be anything but normal.
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