The 500-pound black bear has damaged more than 30 properties around Lake Tahoe, and last week broke into yet another home in an endless quest for a quick meal.
Known by residents as Hank the Tank, the giant bear has eluded capture for more than seven months, according to Peter Tira, a spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
“What’s problematic about this bear is how large it is,” Tira told SF Gate on Sunday. “It’s learned to use that size and strength to break into a number of occupied residences, bursting through the garage door or front door. It’s pretty frightening."
The bear is responsible for more than 150 incident reports in the region straddling Northern California and Nevada. A Friday break-in at a residence in the Tahoe Keys neighborhood is the latest, according to CBS Sacramento.
The bear smashed a window and squeezed into the house on Catalina Drive while the residents were at home. Police responded and banged on the outside of the house until Hank exited out the back door and disappeared into the woods.
Also known as Jake or Yogi or simply Big Guy, the bear is what Tira described as a “severely food habituated bear" that has “lost all fear of people” and thinks of them as a food source.
A homeowners association agreed during a meeting last week to allow state wildlife personnel to capture the bear. Previous trapping efforts, which are generally more successful in wooded settings, have proven futile in residential areas where the bear has become acclimated, SF Gate reported.
After the break-in Friday, officials collected DNA evidence to make an accurate match if they capture the bear. If Hank is captured, officials said the bear could be relocated to accredited facilities such as zoos and wildlife sanctuaries, Tira said.
“You relocate it to the wilderness, and they starve because they’re not used to hunting for food," Tira said.
Killing the bear is hopefully a last resort, said Joby Cefalu, a board member with the homeowners association.
“Nobody on our board took lightly the situation of depredation,” Cefalu told the Los Angeles Times. "We’re meant to coexist. Unfortunately, this is a human problem.”
Cryptocurrencies had a monumental year in 2021 and is showing no signs of slowing down. Cheddar breaks down everything you need to know this tax season if you are investing in crypto.
The U.S. is sending more aid to Ukraine, Tom Brady is un-retiring, and Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson are Instagram official. Here is all the news you Need2Know for Monday, March 14, 2022.
U.S. stocks ended Thursday's session lower as new CPI data show inflation continues to rise and the Russia-Ukraine war continues. Philip Palumbo, founder, CEO, & Chief Investment Officer of Palumbo Wealth Management, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
It's been an eventful past few weeks for the WNBA. One of the league's top players, Brittney Griner, remains in Russian custody after being detained at an airport last month. The league is also dealing with a scandal after fining a team for providing charter flights to their players. Emily Caron, sports business reporter for Sportico, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Auction-based advertising infrastructure startup Topsort
raised $8 million in a seed funding round. Topsort says companies like Google and Amazon have been making huge profits from auction-based advertising for decades, but that the technology is complicated, exclusive, and hard to build. The company is trying to be a solution, by offering an auction-based advertising API to smaller retailers and marketplaces. Regina Ye, CEO and co-founder of Topsort, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Former "Real Housewife of Atlanta" Kandi Burruss is back with a spinoff on Bravo. The singer-songwriter is starring in the new reality series "Kandi and the Gang" featuring the staff at her restaurant, The Old Lady Gang. Burruss joined Cheddar News Wrap to talk about opening the Atlanta eatery with her husband Todd Tucker, the series' premiere this week, and how it compares with another Real Housewife's restaurant reality show. "I think the only thing that's the same is that both Lsa Vanderpump and I are Real Housewives and we both have restaurants," she said. "The fact is, my restaurant, I have family that works in my restaurant, so that gives it a totally different spin."
With real estate being a largely male-dominated industry, Stephanie Shojaee, vice president and chief marketing officer at development company Shoma Group, joined Cheddar News to discuss how she took on the gender gap for women to achieve leadership roles, starting at her own company. “It's been very important to teach all the women that work here, especially the younger ones, that they shouldn't change themselves," she said. "You need to be happy with who you are and just keep breaking barriers."
Rachel O'Neill is a licensed therapist and vice president, clinical & quality at Talkspace. She joins Cheddar News to discuss how the spring blues impact our mental health.
