Black bear moved into homeowner's basement in Los Angeles

Last November in Los Angeles, a homeowner discovered a large black bear had moved into the small basement under his house after motion-activated cameras captured it nosing through his bins.

Footage from a camera at a mesh-covered opening showed the bear pushing its body into the hole, despite appearing too large to fit; the homeowner watched in shock as the animal emerged and later returned, and he began monitoring critter-cams continually.

He tried deterrents people suggested—stomping, blasting music and creating 'bad neighbour fratboy energy'—but nothing worked. The Department of Fish and Wildlife set a trap and laid scent trails of sardines and cherries, then switched to butterscotch, but the bear, described as about 550lb (250kg), was not lured away.

Neighbours and the media arrived, and locals gave the animal nicknames such as 'Unbearable' and 'Volkswagen'. Members of the organisation Bear League eventually crawled into the space and used paintball guns with vegetable oil pellets to scare the bear out, which succeeded.

Now that the bear has been driven out, the homeowner says the damage is extensive: two craters under the house and thick dust around vents. The opening has been covered with an electrified mat to prevent a return, and the account does not specify where the bear went after being scared out.

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