Bear living under Altadena home finally leaves, California Department of Fish and Wildlife confirms

A bear that settled under a home in the Los Angeles County community of Altadena for a little over one month has left, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed.

The homeowner was at wits’ end trying to get the California black bear out of a crawlspace under his house after it moved in sometime in late November.

While it is not immediately known exactly when or why the bear, ear-tagged as “Yellow 2120,” left, the agency confirmed on Thursday that he’s gone. 

Homeowner Ken Johnson had called CDFW for help after he couldn’t get the 550-pound bear to leave. Department biologists attempted to trap the bear in mid-December, only to catch another, unintended bear. 

“I thought this would be over by now,” Ken Johnson told CBS News in late December. He said he could hear the bear underneath his house, clawing and scratching — worried it might burst up through his living room floor.

Department officials said this is the typical time of the year that bears find warm and safe places to den.

“Unfortunately, it sounds like this is what that bear has potentially found under the homeowner’s house in the crawlspace,” said Cort Klopping, with CDFW. “It’s unfortunate. We want to see the bears in the woods, not in people’s homes.”

The Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed its commitment to help, but noted that it will be Johnson’s responsibility to better secure the crawlspace after the bear leaves.

Johnson, meanwhile, said earlier he was worried about possible legal implications if he took any drastic action to remove what might be considered a protected animal from beneath his home.

CBS News Los Angeles has reached out to homeowner Ken Johnson for comment.