After returning home following the devastating Eaton Fire, Samy Arbid discovered a 525-pound bear had taken shelter in his crawlspace. Wildlife officials spent nearly 24 hours luring the bear with a feast of treats before successfully trapping it.
A California man who was evacuated last month during the Los Angeles wildfires returned home to find a wild animal had taken shelter on his property. Samy Arbid, of Altadena, was lucky to learn his home had been spared in the Eaton fire. But a new problem presented itself - a giant, 500-pound bear had holed up in his crawlspace.
A local utility company was working to restore the power at Arbid’s home, but was having trouble when they discovered a bear in the crawlspace where they needed to work. Bears sheltering in a crawlspace isn’t unheard of, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife recommends homeowners contact them to help coax the bear out and keep everyone safe. But after assessing Arbid’s crawlspace and seeing the size of this bear, professionals knew tranquilizing the bear to remove it wasn’t an option. They had to resort to treats, Arbid told Storyful, a social media licensing agency, and they set a bear trap right outside the entrance to the crawlspace. A team of eight people from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife spent nearly 24 hours working to safely remove the 525-pound bear from the crawlspace. Officials had to set up a feast of rotisserie chicken, sardines, tomato sauce, apples and peanut butter to lure the bear into a trap. Security footage provided to Storyful by Arbid shows the moment the bear’s massive head poked out of the crawlspace, lured by the wildlife team’s feast. Video was also captured of the moment the bear was successfully and safely trapped, much to the relief of several wildlife officials. The bear was trapped and taken to Angeles National Forest. It got a welfare check, a GPS collar, and was measured before being safely released. ‘I think during the fire he pretty much stayed there. I think he was scared,’ Arbid told local media, who said the bear normally lived in Eaton Canyon, where the wildfire started. The Eaton Fire broke out during high wind conditions on Jan. 7, destroying more than 10,000 structures in and around the community of Altadena. At least 17 people were killed. It began on the same day as the Palisades Fire, which destroyed or damaged thousands of other homes and structures. At least 12 people were killed in that fire. Together they burned the largest urban area on record in California, according to an Associated Press analysis. Both fires were finally fully contained last week
WILDLIFE CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES BEAR RESCUE EATON FIRE
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