Infamous Lake Tahoe Bear 'Hank The Tank' Finally Captured

Ian Greenwood
·2 min read
2

Earlier this month, a Lake Tahoe, California, resident that has broken into 21 homes since 2022 was finally captured.

And no, this wasn't a prolific cat burglar bent on pilfering expensive outdoor gear like mountain bikes and skis; it was a rotund female black bear named "Hank The Tank."

"Hank," or "Henrietta," as some call her, wasn't alone in her crime spree. She was joined by three little vandals in training: her cubs.

The family was brought to justice in early August, safely immobilized by wildlife biologists.

Typically, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife euthanizes bears that have become problematic in populated areas, but "Hank" and the crew will instead be relocated.

The CDFW's decision to avoid euthanasia came after Lake Tahoe community members showed interest in "Hank's" story. Outspoken locals believed that the break-ins weren't the bear's fault but the result of lax garbage policies and habitat encroachment, thus opposing "Hank's" euthanasia

The family won't be kept together during the relocation.

Hank The Tank went viral for her uh...tank-ish size.
Hank The Tank went viral for her uh...tank-ish size.

The cubs, which CDFW believes qualify for rehabilitation that, if effective, will rein-still a fear of human-populated areas, have been relocated to Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue -- a rehab facility that bars bear-human interaction.

Ideally, the cubs will eventually be reintroduced into the wild.

But "Hank" has shown that she's too far gone to give up on ice cream, trash cans, and home invasions. She's been transferred to The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Springfield, Colorado, where she'll likely spend the rest of her life.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife provided an update on "Hank", dubbed 'conflict bear 64f', in the Facebook post below. She reportedly cleared her veterinary examination and was being transported to her new home in Colorado.

Godspeed, "Hank." Here's hoping there's lots of ice cream in Colorado.

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