California man returns home after fires to find a 500-pound black bear moved in downstairs
Altadena, California - A massive 525 pound black bear was found living in the Altadena home of a family who were forced to evacuate during the Los Angeles fires in January.
Shortly after moving into his Altadena home in November last year, Samy Arbid and his wife started to hear the sound of a bear clanking around under the master bedroom.
The animal had apparently hunkered in during a period in which the house was unoccupied, and was regularly sleeping and living in the crawlspace beneath the house.
"Berry" the bear was known by a number of Altadena residents, and was even called "Victor" by some.
The couple were forced to sleep elsewhere in the house to avoid the risk of becoming a midnight snack.
When they returned after the brutal Los Angeles area fires had devastated much of their neighborhood, the black bear seemed to have moved in permanently.
The effort to remove Berry the black bear
California's Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), who had previously been unable to help the Arbids previously, stepped in after a gas company carrying out inspections on the home reported Berry's presence.
To expedite the process of getting the family back into their home, CDFW environmental scientist Kevin Howells was put on the job. He placed a trap near the crawlspace opening, filled it with rotisserie chicken and fruit and, within minutes, the hungry boy was snared.
"The bear was transported in the trap into Angeles National Forest and given a welfare check, GPS-collared, and measured before being safely released just after midnight."
After their bear-related misadventure had been wrapped up, utilities were restored and the Arbids returned home.
With the crawlspace now safely boarded up, they should be able to sleep in the master bedroom once again. After a rough start to 2025, they'll certainly need the rest.
Cover photo: Collage: Screenshots/Instagram/@californiadfw