California bear trap catches wrong beast as man endures 550-pound creature living under his house

“There was a big click and a bang!” shouted Ken Johnson of Altadena, who has been living in dread as his house‑denizen fidgets beneath the floorboards for almost three weeks.

The “beary” scary drama played out at about 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday. A bait‑laden trap—packed with shrimp, peanut butter, apples, and other bear‑favorite foods—had been installed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to lure the unwelcome guest.

As the scent wafted across the yard, another black bear, just off in the neighborhood, padded over to the box, opened the door, and vanished inside. The latch clanged shut.

“It must have smelled the food,” said Johnson, who had been standing outside looking for an extension cord when the door slammed. “I heard rattling, it scared me.”

Fish and Game officers rushed in, captured the stray, and relocated it to a suitable area a short distance away, as spokesman Cort Klopping explained. The bear was not previously registered in their database but was tagged on the spot for future tracking.

“It’s like the bear has a name tag now,” Klopping said. “It’s a healthy male black bear between three to four years old, but not as large as the one under the house.”

Still, Johnson’s ordeal isn’t over. He reports hearing “roomie” noises from the hidden den as early as 5 a.m. every morning.

The original bear remains, and a new trap has yet to be deployed. Authorities have tried a cherry‑caramel scent spray, hoping to coax the behemoth out before Christmas, but to no avail.

“It’s been quite a ride,” Johnson mused.