Bear Seeks Refuge in Home Basement After Losing Habitat to Wildfire
Passerby Confronts Black Bear on the Road
While Japan has seen numerous human casualties due to bears this year, it was recently revealed that a wild bear broke into the basement of a private home in California, USA. On the 16th, Yonhap News TV, citing the New York Post, shared the story of a homeowner who discovered a black bear weighing up to 250 kilograms in the basement of his house. Ken Johnson, a man in his 60s living in California, noticed damage to the lower part of his home this past June.
The brickwork and the crawl space door frame had been torn apart. In an effort to identify the culprit, he installed a boa camera, but for a while, nothing suspicious was captured. Then, at around 7 a.m. on the 25th of last month, while reviewing the footage as usual, Johnson finally identified the culprit: a massive black bear weighing 550 pounds (approximately 249 kilograms).
He lives in Altadena, a foothill area northeast of Los Angeles. Altadena suffered extensive damage in the Eaton Fire that broke out in January, resulting in the destruction of national forests and the suspension of food supplies for wildlife, causing many animals to lose their habitats. It appears that Johnson's home became a refuge for the bear as a result of these circumstances. In a recent interview with the Associated Press, he said, "It was enormous. It was as tall as a table and looked even bigger than the trash bin in front of my house. I feel very anxious." The bear is still in the basement of Johnson's house. He stated that if the government does not respond, he may have to resolve the issue himself, saying, "I plan to buy several loaves of bread, lay them out from the roadside to the cave, and once the bear leaves, I will place sandbags and spray pepper spray in the basement to prevent the bear from coming back in."
Meanwhile, last weekend, a video of a passerby confronting a black bear by the roadside in Tennessee was shared on social media, sparking controversy. On the 12th (local time), Indian media outlet The Free Press Journal and other foreign sources reported that a man approached a black bear that had appeared on the road and struck its torso, threatening the animal. At the time, the bear was crossing the road, and passing cars had stopped until the bear finished crossing. As the bear reached the other side, the passerby suddenly reached out and touched it. The bear immediately charged at the man but did not launch a serious attack. Afterward, the bear disappeared into an alley.
As the video spread online, the comment section was flooded with criticism directed at the reckless passerby who provoked the black bear. Most netizens commented, "Black bears generally tend to avoid fights, which is why a major accident did not occur," "The bear looks terrified," and "The bear showed remarkable restraint," among other critical remarks.
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