A GIANT bear is wreaking havoc on dozens of homes in his desperate hunt for food — but hasn’t harmed any humans.
A 500-pound bear known as Hank the Tank has broken into at least 40 California homes since July for the sake of eating people’s food.
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The latest burglary in the city of South Lake Tahoe happened just last week when Hank entered a residential home through a window, according to a picture posted by the city’s police department.
Though many residents have come face-to-face with the giant creature, Hank is known in the area as a “gentle giant” who is constantly hungry — which makes sense for his size.
Despite his harmlessness, authorities are determined to put a stop to the bear’s wandering due to the property damage and fear he causes people.
“This is what we call a severely habituated bear, meaning this bear has lost all fear of people and it is associating people with food and food sources,” Peter Tira with California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife said to ABC7.
The Department set up bear traps in the area, but they were removed due to the public’s affection for Hank.
Local residents, as well as authorities, have attempted to frighten Hank away with loud noises, paintball guns, and even tasers, but he continues to forage into homes.
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The BEAR League, a nonprofit wildlife rescue group, agrees that Hank needs to be stopped but does not want Hank to be killed.
The League’s Executive director Ann Bryant maintains that the animal should be taken to a rescue sanctuary.
“Everyone is expressing their horror over the plans to kill Hank,” Bryant said on Facebook.
“We haven’t talked to or heard from a single person who thinks the bear deserves to die.
“After all, he is only answering the ring of the dinner bell, as all bears do.”
HANK THE TANK’S WEIGHT
Reporting by the New York Times on Hank the Tank says that the black bear weighs 500 pounds.
Hank has gotten so large not from his normal diet of berries but from eating food made for humans.
The accessibility of leftovers and scraps has drawn Hank into places where food has been left out–places where the bear isn’t necessarily welcome.
Watch a Florida man fight a black bear on his front porch as he protects his dogs.
Another heroic dog owner fought off two bears to defend her dogs in New Jersey.
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