500-Pound Bear Breaks into Dozens of Homes in California

A 500-pound bear nicknamed ‘Hank the Tank’ has broken into at least 30 homes in the Lake Tahoe area over the last several months, scavenging for leftover food and leaving a trail of property damage.

 The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a statement that Hank is a “severely food-habituated bear,” meaning he has lost all fear of people and only associates humans with food.

 Hank has used his size and strength to barge through garages, windows, and doors. Officials from the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife have tried to “haze” Hank with paintballs, tasers, sirens and bean bags. Nevertheless, Hank remains on the run. According to the New York Times, authorities are trying to “trap Hank and possibly euthanize him.”

 The Bear League, a nonprofit group that aims to protect bears, stated that Hank is being “targeted for death” by California officials. The group says that they are “frantically working to save his life by reaching out to various wildlife sanctuaries in hopes of finding him a safe home.”