Last November, I went out for the evening with friends who were visiting Los Angeles. When I got home, I checked my phone notifications and saw a motion alert from one of the security cameras around my house. The footage showed a large black bear sniffing around my trash bins.
We do get wildlife here—raccoons, skunks—but I’d never had a bear going through my garbage before. I watched as it turned things over and then wandered off, so I assumed it had left.
The next morning, I checked the cameras again and saw the bear once more, this time on a camera I’d placed near a small, mesh-covered opening under my house. I watched in disbelief as a huge shape emerged from the hole. It looked too big to fit through such a tiny gap. I replayed the footage, my hands starting to sweat.
Scrolling back, I saw the bear pushing its way into my home hours earlier. That evening, I showed the clips to a few friends. They laughed and swore, and one said, “Ken, you’ve got to do something about this.”
The next day, I watched the bear come out early in the morning—and then that camera died. When I went to change the batteries, I heard a huff, then a stomp, followed by a growl that felt like a death warning. I caught a glimpse of him, and my body went straight into fight-or-flight mode. I ran back inside, shaking uncontrollably.
After that, my life split in two. There was ordinary life—making coffee, feeding my indoor cat, Boo—and life with the bear. I monitored the cameras constantly, wondering what was happening beneath me. It felt like I was the guy in the upstairs apartment and he was the tenant below. Boo would hear banging under the floor and run over, looking at me with wide eyes as if to say, “Are you hearing this?”
I tried everything people suggested: stomping, blasting music, creating “bad neighbor frat-boy energy”—all to make the bear leave. Nothing worked. If anything, he seemed to settle in even more. My imagination ran wild. I’d hear a scrape and wake up at five in the morning in a panic.
When the Department of Fish and Wildlife got involved, the situation became both more serious and more absurd. They set up a bear trap in my neighbor’s driveway and laid a scent trail that smelled like sardines and cherries. When that didn’t work, they switched to butterscotch. I can’t tell you how haunting butterscotch becomes when you associate it with a 550-pound bear living under your floor. Just opening a window would turn my stomach.
The bear, meanwhile, wasn’t being lured anywhere. He’d come out at night for a while, circle the patio, hunt for food, and then squeeze back under my house. Watching him force himself through that gap was painful. His belly scraped, his body contorted, and the last thing to disappear was always his enormous paw.
I had prepared a wooden panel to block the opening, but it was too dangerous to put it in place while he was nearby. Once, when I did manage to secure it, he just swatted it aside.
Before long, the media showed up, and the neighborhood came alive. People wandered over to reporters and said things like, “Oh yeah, he was in our yard last week,” or, “He tipped over our trash.” And I’d think, “Then he came back and crawled under my house.” Locally, he’s known as “Unbearable” or “Volkswagen” because he’s about the size of one.
Then, a few weeks ago, we did the impossible. Some guys from the Bear League actually crawled into the space with him and scared him out using paintball guns loaded with pellets made of vegetable oil. It sounds painful, but the bear has thick skin, and it did the trick.
Now that he’s gone, I have mixed feelings. I feel sorry for him, but I’ve also assessed the damage to my house, and it’s bad. He made two craters under there—The thick dust around the vents in the house was caused by a bear. We’ve covered the opening with an electrified mat to keep him from returning. He had a comfortable setup for a time, but he made a mess and wore out his welcome. If I ever win the lottery, I’ll build him his own bear cave in the yard, but for now, he’s officially evicted. As told to Sophie Haydock.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about the unexpected situation of a bear moving into your house written in a natural conversational tone
Immediate Beginner Questions
Q Is this a joke Can a bear really just move into a house
A While it sounds unbelievable yes it absolutely happens Bears are strong intelligent and opportunistic If they find an open door window or pet door and smell food inside they will enter and may decide to stay if its comfortable and safe
Q What should I do first if I discover a bear in my house
A Your absolute first priority is your own safety Do not approach or try to shoo it out Quietly and calmly leave the house if you can ensuring a clear escape path for yourself If youre in a room with the bear stay there close the door if possible and call for help
Q Who do I call The police Animal control
A Call 911 or your local police nonemergency line immediately They will dispatch the appropriate wildlife authorities Do not call a regular pest control service bears require specialized handling
Q Should I try to scare it out by making loud noises
A No A startled bear inside a confined space is extremely dangerous It may panic become aggressive or cause massive damage trying to escape Let professionals handle the eviction
Practical HowTo Questions
Q How will they get the bear out
A Wildlife officers use proven techniques They will first try to encourage it to leave on its own by creating a clear exit and applying gentle pressure If that fails they may use nonlethal deterrents like noise devices or as a last resort tranquilize it for safe removal
Q What happens to the bear after its removed
A This depends on the bears behavior and local laws Often it will be relocated to a remote suitable habitat far from human dwellings In cases of repeated nuisance behavior or aggression euthanasia may be considered which is why prevention is so crucial
Q My house is a mess What damage should I expect
A Expect significant damage Bears can tear open cabinets break windows and doors shred furniture and walls
