An Altadena homeowner tried to lure a 500‑pound bear out of his attic using a sweet smoke trick, only to run into trouble when a second, equally hefty bear showed up at his front yard at about 2 a.m. on Tuesday.
Ken Johnson, who works as a product photographer, was already stressing over a hefty visitor hiding in the crawl space beneath his kitchen when the unexpected second bear padded onto his driveway, reporters say.
The initial problem began when Johnson discovered overturned trash cans and loose bricks around his property. Footage from motion‑sensing cameras revealed that a large, yellow‑tagged bear had been skulking under his floorboards, briefly emerging on Saturday and again on Sunday evening for roughly twenty minutes.
When asked about the situation, Johnson told The Post, “It’s scary when I don’t know where it is.”
He filed an online report with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) on Monday. CDFW spokesman Cort Klopping confirmed that the agency had reached out after Johnson submitted the report and has been offering guidance ever since.
According to Klopping, agency data estimated the animal at about 550 pounds, and it was not considered a public threat. He added, “There’s no reason to believe additional response is needed. It doesn’t appear the bear is posing a threat to the public.”
CDFW has advised Johnson to stay clear of the area, observe the bear remotely, and let the animal depart on its own.
A biologist instructed Johnson to firmly seal the access point after the bear leaves, install motion‑triggered wildlife sprinklers to deter any return, and place ammonia‑soaked rags near the entry trying to keep the bear at bay.
Klopping explained that the bear’s habits are typical for the San Gabriel Valley, where the mild climate means black bears rarely hibernate. He suggested the animal was likely just seeking a warm den.
FAA records show the bear was previously tagged roughly ten miles away, and CDFW data indicates its activity hasn’t changed before versus after the recent wildfires, so any link to the Altadena blaze is purely speculative.
Finally, historians stressed that nearby neighbors should also secure their crawl spaces to prevent similar unwanted wildlife encounters.
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