Hank the Tank is actually THREE bears! DNA evidence reveals the 500lb black bear terrorising dozens of homes in the area around Lake Tahoe is a battalion
DNA evidence has found that the 500lb black bear nicknamed Hank the Tank is in fact at least three hefty bears who have damaged more than 30 properties around Lake Tahoe in recent months.
The inquisitive sleuth of chunky bears faces being trapped by the Department of Fish and Wildlife on Thursday to collect evidence for genetic analysis. The trio will then be released in a 'suitable habitat' and the agency said no trapped animals will be euthanized as part of the project.
The bears are responsible for more than 150 incident reports in the region straddling Northern California and Nevada, including a break-in at a residence in the Tahoe Keys neighborhood last week.
Hank the Tank, a 500lb bear, is terrorizing a community in Lake Tahoe, California One of the Hanks smashed a window Friday and squeezed into the house on Catalina Drive while the residents were at home, CBS Sacramento reported. Police responded and banged on the outside of the house until Hank exited out the back door and disappeared into the woods.
Also known as Jake or Yogi or simply Big Guy, the then-solo bear was what one wildlife official described as a 'severely food habituated bear' that has 'lost all fear of people' and thinks of them as a food source.
'What's problematic about this bear is how large it is,' Peter Tira, a spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, told SF Gate on Sunday.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE
'It's learned to use that size and strength to break into a number of occupied residences, bursting through the garage door or front door.'
Once the trapping efforts begin, the three Hanks - at least - may well form a brigade.
There was outrage from residents over the bear hunt and even attempts to scare the bear away from the area by playing noisy music or even spray painting the phrase 'Bear Killer' on the trap, even though Hank can't read.
Hank was caught on home security footage in Lake Tahoe wandering around looking for his next meal
Although Hank didn't enter the home, he has done so in the past. The bear has been spotted more than 100 times in the neighborhood since July and has prompted more than 150 calls to law enforcement 
A home in California that has faced Hank's wrath
A pro-bear activist group, The BEAR League, has been working with wildlife officials to try and get Hank to a safe new home. This trap has been vandalized in an apparent attempt to deter Hank - even though he can't read
When residents believed the sleuth of bears was just one, Hank, they reported that he was gentle and didn't cause any damage.
However, not everyone is too fond of having a 500lb teddy bear roaming the streets. A spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Peter Tira told The New York Times: 'This is a bear that has lost all fear of people. It’s a potentially dangerous situation.'
And after a while the wildlife authorities in the area started facing numerous complaints.
'This one individual bear has been linked to property damage at 38 different properties at least,' Tira told KCRA 3 in Sacramento on February 17.
Authorities add that the curvy cub has caused 'extensive property damage and forcefully entered several homes - including occupied homes.'
No comments: