'Hank the Tank" Loses Permanent Custody Of Her 3 Cubs For Negligence

[Sugar Cookie]

California's wildlife agency is trying to capture and kill a 500-pound black bear that officials say is responsible for breaking into homes while looking for food in the scenic Lake Tahoe area, CBS Sacramento reports. An animal advocacy group opposes the agency's plans and wants the bear moved to a sanctuary.

A spokesperson with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife told CBS Sacramento the bear has damaged 38 homes in the South Lake Tahoe area. A black bear advocate told local news website South Tahoe Now the bear has broken down doors while people are inside homes.

"It's a dangerous situation," Toogee Sielsch told the site. "It breaks my heart."

The wildlife agency has put up large container-sized traps in the area and intend to put the bear down after it's captured.

"It is the point of no return for this bear, but the public needs to fix the things that brought us to this point, or it will continue," Jason Holley, a supervising wildlife biologist with the Fish and Wildlife Department, told South Tahoe Now.

The wildlife agency urges people to "bear-proof" homes and rental properties by making it difficult for bears to access garbage and keeping food out of sight among other things.

Ann Bryant, executive director of the Bear Education Aversion Response, or BEAR, League, told CBS Sacramento there's an alternative to killing the bear, which she called a "well-known local."

"We don't want anybody to get hurt," Bryant said. "Nobody wants that. We don't want the bear to die either."

Bryant and the wildlife agency agree the bear might die if it's just relocated because it doesn't know how to hunt, CBS Sacramento reports. Bryant said she'd like to see the bear taken to a wildlife sanctuary out of state.

California wildlife agency trying to kill huge bear behind break-ins

Officials and animal advocates agree the bear doesn't know how to hunt, but they disagree on how to stop it from damaging people's homes.

news.yahoo.com

 

[Satanica]

They wouldn't have to worry about me! Sort of glad we killed off most of the dangerous wildlife here in Texas.

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Hank the Tank, a big bear notorious for wreaking havoc in residential neighborhoods, has hit another home in Lake Tahoe.

The 500-pound bear is known in the area for breaking into homes and eating people's food. Now, being blamed for 40 break-ins since last July.

"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 the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife said.

Police say he carried out his most recent break-in by entering a home through a window. They say officers banged on the outside of the home until Hank popped out of the back door.

The BEAR League, a nonprofit wildlife rescue group, does not want Hank to be killed. But rather, taken to a sanctuary. Executive director Ann Bryant says a sanctuary in Colorado will take him in.

"It's extremely frustrating to imagine with these other options to save his life that the threat is always looming over that you know he could be killed," Bryant said. "We can't sit back and just accept that. It's not tolerable, you know. To kill him is going to send a message to the public that the Department of Wildlife doesn't think his life is worth anything, that he's just a nuisance. He's a pest."

The Dept. has set traps in the area in hope of catching the big bear, but they have since been removed after a public outcry. They say authorities have responded to over 150 calls about Hank- including emergency calls where people are fearful for their safety.

Both the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife and BEAR League agree Hank needs to be taken off the streets, but how that'll happen, is not clear.

'Hank the Tank' burglarizes another Lake Tahoe home; 40 break-ins since July

The 500-pound bear is known in the area for breaking into homes and eating people's food

www.ksbw.com

 

[Satanica]

Well, he IS just a nuisance and a pest, and he's tying up resources that could better be deployed elsewhere. Hopefully, they can move his lard ass to that sanctuary, although they may need additional donations in order to support his food needs, lol.

 

[Sudonim]

He is a problem bear. No two ways around that.

What the bleeding hearts dont realize is that there is no 'sanctuary' he can be sent to. I looked up the place that they are banking on taking him, on face value it looks okay but dig a bit and you find plenty of red flags. Its essentially a larger version of a road side zoo. Its the same place that took in Joe Exotic's tigers when they did the raid and arrested him.

They charge $30 admission fee + mandatory 'donation' then require you to watch a 15 minute video about their mission before you're even allowed into the park. In that video they have staff rolling around on the ground playing with the animals, something they claim they dont do. They also require your personal information before letting you enter. Name, phone number, address, email etc. And they digitally scan your ID into their system.

Sure the majority of animals are kept in large enclosures away from visitor contact..but they are left baking in grassland with no shelter other than cement boxes to hide from the 100f heat. There are no trees for shade. Some of the animals are kept in run down small enclosures. This is not a sanctuary.

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Why can't a zoo take him?

 

[knockout]

Tree huggers will forever be treehuggers. Black bears are not endangered and spending a lot of money and resources to save a naisance bear is as ridiculous as most things they fight for. Why don’t they do something about windmills killing raptors by the thousands every year
Altamont pass is just one such killer energy farm
These clowns remind me of BLM where 6 lives a year matter but thousands don’t
Guess one not endangered black bear matters but thousands of endangered eagles don’t

Wind turbines at Altamont Pass kill an estimated 880 to1,300 birds of prey each year, including up to 116 golden eagles, 300 red-tailed hawks, 380 burrowing owls, and additional hundreds of other raptors including kestrels, falcons, vultures, and other owl species.

https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/protecting_birds_of_prey_at_altamont_pass/pdfs/factsheet.pdf

 

[Satanica]

The short answer is probably that no one wants to vilify windmills has to do with politics. That's usually why things that should be done aren't.

 

[Sudonim]

Why can't a zoo take him?

Zoo's are already so over crowded, they are privately funded and generally dont have the land to expand. The place they want to move him is essentially the government dumping ground for all the animals they cant rehome in zoo's. They have over 500 lions, tigers, bears and wolves at this place. Thats one small drop in the bucket for the actual stats of large animals in captivity in the US. There just arent enough actual zoo's to rehome all the animals.

He's also local wildlife and not endangered, which would rank him lower on the list of animals that should be saved. Mostly zoo's take in domesticated exotic animals that require specialized care/housing, not local riff raff thats causing problems.

 

[knockout]

The short answer is probably that no one wants to vilify windmills has to do with politics. That's usually why things that should be done aren't.

That’s my point, all agenda driven clowns

 

[Satanica]

DNA evidence has shown that the 500-pound black bear the public had nicknamed Hank the Tank is, in fact, at least three not-so-little bears who have damaged more than 30 properties around Lake Tahoe in recent months.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife on Thursday said it would soon begin trapping bears in the South Lake Tahoe area to tag the animals and collect evidence for genetic analysis. The bears will be released in a “suitable habitat” and the agency said no trapped animals will be euthanised as part of the project.
[....]
One of the Hanks smashed a window on Friday and squeezed into the house on Catalina Drive while the residents were at home, CBS Sacramento reported. Police responded and banged on the exterior of the house until Hank exited out the back door and disappeared into the woods.
[....]
Once the trapping efforts begin, the three Hanks – at least – may well form a brigade.

Very hungry bear ‘Hank the Tank’ is in fact three bears, DNA shows

Officials say a trio of oversized bears is responsible for home invasions that had been blamed on a 500lb black bear dubbed Hank the Tank

www.theguardian.com

 

[Sugar Cookie]

@Satanica

California wildlife officials have captured a massive black bear dubbed “Hank the Tank,” after a string of home invasions over the past year.

Wildlife biologists for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) captured the large female black bear and three cubs early Friday.

The department said the bear is responsible for nearly two dozen DNA-confirmed home break-ins and extensive property damage in the South Lake Tahoe area between February 2022 and May 2023.

CDFW says the bear is one of multiple bears identified by the public as “Hank the Tank” based on visual observations.

The bear is being transferred to the Wild Animal Sanctuary near Springfield, Colorado.

The cubs will potentially be relocated to Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue, a CDFW-permitted wildlife rehabilitation facility in the hopes they can discontinue their negative behavior learned while accompanying their mother on home invasions, CDFW said.

Momma bear named ‘Hank the Tank,’ 3 cubs captured after almost 2 dozen, DNA-confirmed home invasions in past year

Wildlife biologists for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) captured the large female black bear and three cubs early Friday.

nypost.com

 

[BuffettGirl]

So, it was Mama Bear that was raising a pack of criminals.

 

[Metalfan]

Big boned you bastards!

 

[thuumpr]

Yogi's supply of picinic baskets has dried up...

 

[McDanel]

After they did a genetic test on poop at the many break-ins, they realized they were looking for three exceptionally large bears around the lake. I've been reading Hank the Tank stories for about 8-10 years now.

You live in the Sierra and there's a bear in your yard. It may be a jolt, but it's it's common enough. Or say you left hiking snacks, or fast food wrappers in your car, and a bear can smell it, you're screwed, your car is demolished, and it's your own fault. When they start breaking into homes, the line has been crossed.

 

[cubby]

Maybe they can Mama and kids on a diet, but in my opinion what mama wants mama gets so a diet isn't likely.

 

[Angiebla]

Im just wondering how old the cubs are, since they were seperated.

 

[Freyja]

Seeing that the bear is very overweight, I wonder if perhaps she has no proper place for hibernation. I realize that bears who have lost their habitat and resort to raiding homes for food may not be able to properly hibernate and loss the excess weight they put on before winter. I recall another story on here about a bear that had to be taken to a wildlife sanctuary because he was near a gun range and ended up sustained on bar food so he ended up in bad shape.

 

[Sugar Cookie]

A bear known for its brazen break-ins in the South Tahoe Area of California has been relocated to an animal sanctuary in Colorado.

The bear officially known as 64F, and known to Californians as "Hank the Tank," was connected by DNA to 21 home invasions in that area between February 2022 and May 2023, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). She's also suspected in additional break-ins and property damage.

The department updated its black bear policy last year, and it now allows for placement and relocation of conflict bears in limited circumstances when other management options have been exhausted and as an alternative to euthanasia. Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) approved the moving of the sow to The Wild Animal Refuge near Springfield.

CPW has the authority to approve only one placement, CDFW said, and they're using that authorization for "Hank the Tank."

Hank's three young cubs, which accompanied her on recent home break-ins, will potentially be relocated to Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue, a CDFW-permitted wildlife rehabilitation facility in Northern California. The hope is that they can put a stop to the negative behaviors the cubs learned from their mother and return them to the wild. All three will be given a health assessment before they are transferred.

Bear known for trouble in California now at Colorado sanctuary

"Hank the Tank" was well-known for break-ins but is getting a second chance and will live out her days at a Colorado sanctuary.

www.wkyc.com

 

[Sejanus]

So 1 nabbed.
2 to go.

Blubber Bear

 

[McDanel]

Seeing that the bear is very overweight, I wonder if perhaps she has no proper place for hibernation. I realize that bears who have lost their habitat and resort to raiding homes for food may not be able to properly hibernate and loss the excess weight they put on before winter. I recall another story on here about a bear that had to be taken to a wildlife sanctuary because he was near a gun range and ended up sustained on bar food so he ended up in bad shape.

This picture was taken in the past, pre hibernation.