'Hank The Tank': DNA Evidence Points To Serial Bear Burglary Ring

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA — Hank the Tank, the enormous — and now infamous — 500-pound black bear wanted in a string of break-ins in South Lake Tahoe, may be part of a serial burglary ring, officials said.

As California Patch previously reported, Hank — described as a "severely food-habituated bear" — was thought to be responsible for more than 150 incident reports in the region, which straddles Northern California and Nevada.

Last week, officials said Hank, whose known aliases are also Jake, Yogi or simply Big Guy, 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, authorities said.

Or so they thought.

DNA Evidence Points To Serial Black Bear Burglary Ring

Newly discovered DNA evidence, however, points to multiple bear burglars. Recent bear home invasions were thought to be from a single bear. But DNA evidence collected from the most recent incident — as well as prior incidents over the past several months — proved that at least three bears were responsible for the break-ins.

In fact, in the most recent incident, Hank was falsely identified as the culprit, likely based on visual observation, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a news release Thursday.

"Considering new evidence suggesting multiple bears are responsible for recent incidents, CDFW will work in coming weeks and months to trap bears in the South Lake Tahoe area, tag them, collect evidence for genetic analysis, and then release them into suitable habitat," the department said.

Related:

• Petition: Save 500-Pound Black Bear Serial Burglar In Lake Tahoe
• CA Police Dispatchers Inundated With Calls To Save Hank The Tank

Notably, the agency said it will not euthanize any bears that are trapped during this effort, and it will work to gather more data and learn from scientific analysis to help inform and refine its bear management tactics in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Much of the problems stem from people trying to identify bears solely through their physical appearance.

"Identifying bears simply by their visible, physical characteristics can lead to misidentifying bears and therefore confusing management efforts," fish and game officials said. "The genetic information gleaned from our effort in the South Lake Tahoe area will assist CDFW by expanding its database of bear genetics and hopefully preventing future misidentification of bears."

How The Public Can Help

Fish and Game officials said they'll need plenty of help from neighbors in Tahoe Keys and surrounding communities. This includes teaming up to lay traps, approving placement of traps on private property, and allowing access onto their properties.

Additionally, for traps to work, they must be left alone and not vandalized or damaged. The request comes after the Nevada Current reported that some neighbors tried to sabotage previous trapping efforts. Some residents took turns standing watch to scare away bears, and others played music. Someone even spray-painted "Bear Killer" on a government trap.

Neighbors also need to properly store food and trash to avoid attracting bruins.

"Bears are primarily scent-driven when seeking food," Fish and Game said. "Improperly stored human food and trash are likely attracting bears into this neighborhood."

Wildlife officials have reached out to homeowners groups to educate people on “bear-proofing” homes. This includes installing bear-proof garbage receptacles.