State wildlife officials try to coax bear out of Altadena crawl space

Biologists from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife set up cameras at an Altadena man's home to monitor the 550-pound bear that's been camping in his crawl space for more than a week. 

Resident Ken Johnson said the bear nested under his home last Tuesday. CDFW staff said they've encountered the bear before, tagging and releasing the bear into the wild about 10 miles away from Altadena in the Angeles National Forest. 

"The bear mostly thinks of this area as its home," CDFW spokesperson Cort Klopping said. 

CDFW staff have had trouble relocating the massive bear due to tight quarters and passersby trying to catch a glimpse of the animal. Biologists said they've brought a lure to hopefully coax the bear out.

"This is a very above-average-sized bear, 550 pounds," Klopping said. The plan of getting this bear to exit the crawl space on its own is the best-case scenario. That's what we're hoping to do right now with the lure that's been placed in the backyard. That lure is a really strong scent that bears are going to find attractive and appealing."

The cameras will allow CDFW's off-site teams to monitor the bear and react if it decides to leave. If the bear leaves, CDFW recommended that the homeowner put ammonia-soaked rags around the crawl space to prevent it from returning.