Bear Refuses To Budge From Under LA County Home, Fed-Up Owner Threatens To Sue: Report

An Altadena homeowner says he's feeling so fed up amid wildlife officials' unsuccessful attempts to evict a bear that's living under his home that he might sue the state, according to a report.

The 500-pound bear moved in to the crawlspace under Ken Johnson's home before Thanksgiving, prompting him to reach out to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for help.

Wildlife officials attempted to remove the bear using air horns and chemical scents and set up a trap. That didn't work — though the trap ended up catching a smaller bear, not the one that continues to hole up under Johnson's home, KTLA reported.

• Read more: State Wildlife Officials Try To Coax Bear Out Of Altadena Crawl Space

The station reported on Sunday that Johnson said state wildlife officials told him that they can no longer help — prompting him to tell a reporter that he planned to sue the state for negligence and emotional distress.

But the next day, a Fish and Wildlife spokesperson said they haven't given up on the cause.

"We remain committed to helping this homeowner and have never indicated otherwise. CDFW has and will continue to engage with the homeowner to advise on hazing methodologies and the critical need to close the crawlspace, monitor cameras and offer support to help ensure the bear leaves and finds more suitable habitat," officials said in a statement.

Fish and Wildlife staff on Monday returned to Johnson's home to change batteries on a camera that tracks the bear, KTLA reported.

Before wildlife officials stepped in to help, Johnson spoke with members of the media about the bear, which he caught on security camera clambering out from beneath his house.

He had installed a camera near the space back in June when he saw what looked like damage caused by an animal. Nothing showed up on the camera until the end of November.

“It's a huge bear,” Johnson said, describing it as tall as a table and bigger than the trash bins in front of his house. “It's really unnerving because I don't know if he's going to tear everything up under there, I don't know how to get him out."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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