Bear found hiding under Altadena home after Eaton Fire
- In an unexpected twist following the Eaton Fire, Samy Arbid returned to his Altadena home to find an unwelcome but intriguing guest had taken refuge in his crawlspace.
- "I couldn't believe it when I found out there was a giant bear under my house," Arbid said, recalling the nerve-wracking discovery.
- SoCal Gas crews were equally startled when they tried to access the meter to restore gas after the fire and found the bear had taken up residence.
Title: Giant Bear Finds Shelter in Home After California Wildfire
In an unexpected twist following the Eaton Fire, Samy Arbid returned to his Altadena home to find an unwelcome but intriguing guest had taken refuge in his crawlspace. The surprise visitor? A 525-pound bear, affectionately known by some neighbors as Berry or Victor, who had been frequenting the nearby Eaton Canyon.
"I couldn’t believe it when I found out there was a giant bear under my house," Arbid said, recalling the nerve-wracking discovery. "We had to install a ring camera with a light to confirm it."
SoCal Gas crews were equally startled when they tried to access the meter to restore gas after the fire and found the bear had taken up residence. To help coax the bear out, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife set up a trap baited with a veritable feast of rotisserie chicken, sardines, tomato sauce, apples, peanut butter, and more. The tempting spread did the trick, and the bear was safely trapped and relocated.
"I was told it was the biggest bear the biologist had ever seen in person," Arbid revealed.
Neighbors were relieved to hear the bear had been safely relocated. Patty Smith, a neighbors who had been worrying about the wildlife in the area after the fire, said, "He’s pretty harmless. He just wanted a safe place to hide, like we all do sometimes."
The bear was fitted with a GPS collar and returned to the Angeles National Forest, where it can now roam freely once more.