A Los Angeles man has made a jaw-dropping discovery when he returned to his house after the devastating Eaton Fire that ravaged his community.
Samy Arbid, 41, discovered that a massive 525-pound bear had moved into a crawl space underneath his home.
The unexpected house guest was found when he installed a Ring camera beneath his Altadena home after the Eaton wild fire.
To his surprise, he found himself face-to-face with one of the largest bears wildlife officials had ever encountered.
‘We ended up putting a ring camera with a light on it under the crawlspace and found out we have a giant bear under there,’ Arbid told CBS News.
‘It was nerve-wracking for a while,’ he added.
‘I think during the fire he pretty much stayed in there,’ Arbid said to the outlet. ‘I think he was scared.’
The situation became more complicated when Southern California Gas crews refused to restore gas service to the home after discovering the enormous squatter beneath it.
Wildlife officials had to get creative to remove the oversized bear, who was too large to be safely tranquilized.
Their solution was to serve up a delicious gourmet feast that would tempt the bear to climb out of the crawlspace.
‘So, they went to Stater Brothers [Supermarket] and bought some rotisserie chicken and sardines and tomato sauce, apples, peanut butter — all kinds of stuff,’ Arbid explained.
‘They made a feast for him.’
The plan was successful as the bear couldn’t resist the yummy treats.
After enjoying the meal, the bear was safely trapped and relocated.
Wildlife officials reportedly fitted the bear with a GPS collar before releasing it back into Angeles National Forest.
‘The biologist actually said it was the biggest bear he’s ever seen in person,’ Arbid said.
But it turns out the massive animal is actually well-known to the local community who dubbed the furry creature ‘Berry’ or ‘Victor.’
He is believed to have fled from its usual habitat in nearby Eaton Canyon when the wildfire broke out.
Neighbors expressed deep affection for the animal, with one resident calling him ‘harmless’ and relieved the bear made it through the fire safely.
Neighbor Patty Smith defended the gentle giant’s character.
‘He’s pretty harmless,’ Smith said. ‘He just wants some good trash, like we all like some good trash.’
Smith also expressed concerned about other wildlife affected by the fire.
‘I don’t know if he was injured,’ she said. ‘I don’t know if his paws were singed or anything like that but he found safety under there.’