A homeowner who evacuated his residence due to the raging Los Angeles wildfires returned home and discovered a 525-pound bear hiding in a crawl space under his house, the New York Post reported.
The homeowner, Samy Arbid, told CBS News the bear — nicknamed “Berry” — was discovered by utility workers who had come to his house to restore power after the Eaton fire but found their access point blocked.
“We ended up putting a ring camera with a light on it under the crawlspace and found out we have a giant bear under there,” Arbid told the outlet. “It was nerve-wracking for a while.”
Arbid said he believes Berry the bear, also called “Victor” by other neighbors in the area, hid under his home to escape the devastating wildfire.
“I think during the fire he pretty much stayed in there,” Arbid said. “I think he was scared.”
Wildlife experts had to bait Berry with a tasty meal to coax him out from under the house because he was too big to tranquilize and drag out, according to the report.
“The biologist actually said it was the biggest bear he’s ever seen in person,” Arbid said.
The bear was ultimately taken to the Angeles National Forest, where he was released wearing a GPS collar after a welfare check.
Fish and Wildlife officials said Arbid’s home has since been boarded up and bear-proofed to keep other animals from entering in the future.
“In the foothills of bear country, it’s important to close crawl spaces with bear-proof material in advance of winter months to discourage bears from denning and damaging property,” CDFW officials said.
The Eaton Fire began on Jan. 7 and destroyed nearly 10,000 structures, according to the report. The fire killed at least 17 people.
As of Friday, officials from Cal Fire said the Eaton fire was 99 percent contained.
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