South Lake Tahoe, Calif. (AP) - Hank the Tank strikes again.
A 500-pound black bear has damaged more than 30 properties around Lake Tahoe, and last week broke into another home in an endless search for a quick meal.
Known by residents as Hank the Tank, the giant bear has been occupied for more than seven months, according to California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman Peter Tira.
"The problem about this bear is how big it is," Tera told SF Gate on Sunday. "It's learned to use that size and strength to break into many occupied homes, bursting through the garage door or front door. It's quite frightening."
The bear is responsible for more than 150 reported incidents in this region spanning northern California and Nevada. According to CBS Sacramento, Friday's break-in is the latest at a residence in the Tahoe Keys neighborhood.
The bear broke a window and entered the house on Catalina Drive while residents were at home. The police responded and blasted the outside of the house until Hank exited through the back door and disappeared into the woods.
Also known as Jake or Yogi or simply Big Cow, the bear described by Tira as a "seriously feeding bear" that has "lost all fear of people" and was given a food source. Thinks as.
A homeowners union agreed to allow state wildlife personnel to capture the bear during a meeting last week. SF Gate reported that previous trapping efforts, which are generally more successful in wild settings, have proved fruitless in residential areas to which the bears have become accustomed.
After the break-in on Friday, officials collected DNA evidence to pinpoint the exact match on the bears' capture. If Hank is captured, officials said the bear could be relocated to recognized facilities such as zoos and wildlife sanctuaries, Tira said.
"You move it into the woods, and they starve because they're not used to hunting for food," Tera said.
Homeowners association board member Jobi Cefalu said killing the bear is a last resort.
"Nobody on our board took the looting situation lightly," Cefalu told the Los Angeles Times. "We are meant to coexist. Unfortunately, this is a human problem."