Hank The Tank: California Police Dispatchers Inundated With Calls To Save Bear Burglar

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA — Police in South Lake Tahoe pleaded with the public Wednesday to refrain from calling dispatchers about "Hank the Tank," a 500-pound black bear that has broken into dozens of homes in search of snacks.

Dispatchers have become inundated with calls about the bear, the police department wrote in an Instagram post Wednesday morning.

"It's affecting their ability to give their full attention to emergency calls," police said.

In other words, please stop calling the South Lake Tahoe Police Department to share opinion about Hank, police stressed, noting the department has no say in the bear's fate.

"Our local wildlife agencies are working together to find the best option for Hank," police said. "No one wants to see him euthanized. They are searching for an option that will be good for Hank's mental/physical health, and the safety of our local residents."

As California Patch previously reported, thousands of people have signed a petition asking officials to spare the bear from death. And so far, the wily, wayward bear has eluded capture for more than seven months.

Last week, Hank broke into yet another home in his latest snack search. His rap sheet includes at least 33 cases of extensive property damage, and he forcefully entered at least 28 homes in and near the Tahoe Keys.

In all, the bear is responsible for more than 150 incident reports in the region, which straddles Northern California and Nevada.

On Tuesday, the bear even became the likeable anti-hero in an op-ed in The Washington Post, in which columnist John Paul Brammer posited that maybe people don't want to live in a world where Hank — "or at least what he symbolizes" — has to die.

"It doesn’t have to be this way, Hank the Tank tells us. You can stop playing by the rules on any day. At any moment," Brammer said.

Killing the bear is hopefully a last resort, said Joby Cefalu, a board member with the homeowners association. The Bear League is waiting to hear from California Fish and Wildlife officials about possibly moving Hank to a sanctuary.

A meeting on the issue is planned Wednesday night in Tahoe Keys, CBS News reported.