A resident of a town near Los Angeles, California, was surprised a few days ago to find a 250 kg brown bear taking up residence in the crawl space of his house. It has since become impossible to remove.

A rather unwelcome neighbor. A 250 kg brown bear has taken up residence in the crawl space of a house in Altadena, near Los Angeles, California. It doesn't seem to want to leave, and the homeowner has been living in fear for the past ten days.

“I’m constantly nervous,” Johnson, who lives in the house, told NBC News. “I’m always looking over my shoulder to see if it’s going to come out.” The animal has been identified as a male weighing 250 kg.

It would appear that he took refuge in this house after his natural habitat was destroyed by fires. And he seems to be settling into his new life, much to the owner's dismay.

A demolished fence

Johnson admitted to having taken all the usual precautions, such as installing a fence, but to no avail: "The fence is still there, and it weighs about 15 kilos," the resident explained, pointing to the demolished fence. "This thing is crawling into my house, destroying property, and squatting on my land without paying rent," he fumed.

This has attracted curious onlookers, who don't hesitate to take all the risks to try and catch a glimpse of the bear, huddled in its hiding place. The animal has been known in the neighborhood for several months, but it had never before entered a house for such a long period.

Bears are increasingly seen approaching or even entering homes, often in search of food. In response, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has stated that people living in at-risk areas should remove anything that might attract bears, such as pet food and food scraps. "If you have fruit trees near your home, it's advisable to pick up any fallen fruit," reminded Cort Klopping, a spokesperson for the state agency.