500-Pound Bear 'Hank The Tank' Gets Reprieve Following New DNA Evidence
A black bear nicknamed Hank was wrongfully accused of at least some home break-ins in South Lake Tahoe, California.
"A 500-pound black bear accused of breaking into 28 homes in South Lake Tahoe, California, was wrongfully implicated in at least some of the incidents.
New DNA evidence shows that the bear, who has become widely known as “Hank the Tank,” is just one of multiple food-seeking bears involved in break-ins in the wealthy neighborhood of Tahoe Keys.
“While recent incidents of bears invading homes were originally thought to be a single bear, DNA evidence collected from the most recent incident as well as prior incidents over the past several months prove that at least three bears were responsible for breaking into numerous residences,” the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a statement.
Previously, officials were trying to catch Hank and were considering relocating or even killing him, a move the department previously told HuffPost would be a “last resort.” The possibility of Hank’s execution drew backlash both locally ― most notably from local bear advocacy group BEAR League ― and nationally as his fame grew and he gained fans.
Now the department is modifying its strategy.
“CDFW will work in coming weeks and months to trap bears in the South Lake Tahoe area, tag them, collect evidence for genetic analysis, and then release them into suitable habitat,” the department said.
The statement added, “CDFW is not going to euthanize any bears that are trapped during this effort.”
The department also urged people in the area to take more precautions when dealing with food and trash, noting that “improperly stored human food and trash are likely attracting bears into this neighborhood.”
The BEAR League celebrated the news, speculating on social media that Hank had been “taking the rap” for all the break-ins, “probably due to his size” and “extreme handsomeness.”
However, The Sacramento Bee reported that there’s still a possibility that one or more bears in the area ― including Hank ― could wind up dead. That’s because in California, homeowners who have had bear trouble can request a permit for a bear trap on their property. If the trap catches a bear and DNA evidence shows it’s the same bear that caused damage the first time, the bear could be killed."
MORE
"Though certainly destructive, Hank has proven non-violent so far. Since last summer, when his burglaries began, the bear has not attacked any humans or their pets.
Police beg public to stop calling in opinions about ‘Hank the Tank’ as 500-pound bear breaks into more homes
‘Our dispatchers are being inundated with these calls about Hank,’ says the South Lake Tahoe Police Department. ‘It’s affecting their ability to give their full attention to emergency calls’
As a 500-pound bear known as “Hank the Tank” continues pillaging California homes for food, local police have begged the public to stop calling in to defend him.
“Please stop calling SLTPD to give your opinions about Hank,” the South Lake Tahoe Police Department pleaded on Facebook on Wednesday. “Our dispatchers are being inundated with these calls about Hank. It’s affecting their ability to give their full attention to emergency calls.”
The hungry bear, dubbed a “tank” for his massive size, has broken into at least 28 homes in the Tahoe Keys area, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).
“This bear is extremely food-habituated and has used its immense size and strength to break in and through front doors and garage doors,” the CDFW reported. “Food-habituated means that the animal has lost its fear of people and is associating people with access to food.”
The agency said it was searching for a solution, including relocating the marauding bear or, as a “last option,” euthanizing him. This, apparently, triggered an avalanche of public concern – not for the homeowners, but for Hank.
This may be part of why the public has shown such sympathy for him. Under two separate posts by the SLTPD, begging people to stop voicing their opinions about Hank, countless people voiced their opinions about Hank.
“Hank the Tank is such a gentle bear to humans,” one Facebook user wrote. “They seriously cannot capture and kill him! He is a Tahoe icon!”
“Save Hank!!!” another wrote. “Don’t let any harm come to him. He has probably been displaced due to all the fires. Not his fault.”
No comments:
Post a Comment