California Homeowner's Terrifying Bear Encounter Under His House
Ken Johnson experienced a living nightmare when a massive black bear decided to take up residence beneath his California home. The ordeal began last November and transformed his daily life into a constant state of anxiety and vigilance.
The Initial Discovery
After an evening out with friends in Los Angeles, Johnson checked his phone notifications to find a motion alert from his home security cameras. The footage revealed a substantial black bear investigating his rubbish bins. While wildlife sightings including raccoons and skunks were common in the area, a bear rummaging through his trash was unprecedented. Johnson watched as the animal overturned items before ambling away, assuming the encounter was over.
The following morning brought a shocking revelation. Reviewing footage from a camera positioned near a small, mesh-covered opening to his basement, Johnson witnessed an enormous shape emerging from the confined space. "My brain refused to believe it," he recalls. "The bear looked too large to fit in that tiny gap." His hands began to sweat as he processed the reality that this massive creature had entered his property.
The Terrifying Confrontation
Scrolling back through the camera footage confirmed his worst fears: hours earlier, the bear had forced its body into the basement space. After sharing the clips with friends who reacted with a mixture of laughter and concern, Johnson knew he needed to act. The next day, while attempting to change camera batteries, he heard a distinctive huff followed by a heavy stomp. A deep growl that felt like a death warning sent his body into immediate fight-or-flight mode.
"I ran back inside my house, started shaking and couldn't stop," Johnson describes. From that moment, his life divided into two distinct realities: ordinary daily routines like making coffee and caring for his indoor cat Boo, and the constant awareness of the bear living beneath his floorboards. Boo would hear banging sounds and stare at Johnson with wide, questioning eyes.
Failed Eviction Attempts
Johnson tried numerous suggested methods to encourage the bear to leave. He stomped loudly, blasted music, and created what he describes as "bad neighbour fratboy energy." None proved effective. If anything, the bear seemed to settle more comfortably into its new home. Johnson's imagination grew increasingly dramatic, with every scrape or noise jolting him awake in panic during early morning hours.
When the Department of Fish and Wildlife became involved, the situation took on both serious and absurd dimensions. They installed a bear trap in a neighbour's driveway and laid scent trails using sardines and cherries, later switching to butterscotch. "I cannot tell you how haunting butterscotch becomes when you associate it with a 550lb bear living under your floor," Johnson notes, describing how the smell would turn his stomach whenever he opened a window.
The Bear's Persistent Presence
The bear, nicknamed "Unbearable" or "Volkswagen" by locals due to its substantial size, remained stubbornly resistant to relocation efforts. It would emerge at night to circle the patio and search for food before squeezing back through the impossibly small opening. "Watching him force himself through that gap was painful," Johnson recalls. "His belly scraped. His body contorted. Every time, the last thing to disappear was his enormous paw."
Johnson prepared a wooden panel to block the entrance, but installing it proved too dangerous when the bear was nearby. On the single occasion he managed to secure it in place, the bear simply swatted it aside with ease.
Media Attention and Community Response
As media coverage increased, the neighbourhood became animated with activity. Residents approached reporters with their own bear stories, mentioning sightings in their yards or tipped-over trash bins. Johnson would think to himself, "Then he came back and crawled under my house," highlighting his unique predicament compared to their more transient encounters.
The Eventual Resolution
Several weeks ago, a breakthrough finally occurred. Representatives from the Bear League organisation accomplished what seemed impossible: they crawled into the confined space with the bear and used paintball guns loaded with vegetable oil pellets to frighten it out. While the method sounds harsh, Johnson explains that bears have thick skin, and this approach successfully achieved the desired outcome.
Mixed Emotions and Lasting Damage
Now that the bear has departed, Johnson experiences conflicting feelings. "I feel sorry for him," he admits, while simultaneously assessing the significant damage to his property. The bear created two substantial craters beneath the house, explaining the thick dust that had been circulating through the vents. To prevent a return visit, the opening has been secured with an electrified mat.
"He had a great set-up for a while," Johnson reflects, "but he'd made a mess and overstayed his welcome." He jokes that if he wins the lottery, he might build the bear its own dedicated cave in the yard, but for now, the eviction stands firm. The experience has left an indelible mark on Johnson, transforming his understanding of wildlife coexistence and home security in bear country.
