"He hardly bothers at all"

Bear uses basement in California as a den

(Bild: kameraone)

A couple from California certainly didn't choose this roommate voluntarily: a bear has made itself at home under their house in Sierra Madre - and is making no move to leave.

Has the bear already chosen its winter quarters? In any case, the black bear moved into Bob and Susan Nesler's crawl space a few weeks ago. A motion-activated camera recorded the new tenant.

Animal roommate hardly bothers them
The couple actually have relatively few complaints about their new roommate. He mostly minds his own business, leaves late at night and comes home early in the morning without disturbing anyone, the Californians told NBC Los Angeles. 

Here, the black bear leaves his new "den" - a crawl space under a house in California.(Bild: kameraone)

Couple only wants to delog bears in a "humane" way
One thing is still unpleasant: "He leaves piles of droppings," explained Bob Nesler. "That's pretty much my biggest complaint." Although they are only mildly bothered by the animal, the couple, who live on the edge of the Angeles National Forest, notified animal control. They explained that the bear should only be removed if it could be done humanely. 

Authority recommends boarding up basement
The representatives of the Fisheries and Wildlife Agency also do not want to use force. "We want to wait until the bear leaves the crawl space," said Kevin Howells from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. After that, homeowners should board up the basement with "something sturdy," Howells recommends.

Bear sightings are not uncommon in the area - but moving into a house is. Nevertheless, the Neslers are not too worried that the predator could harm them. They have already given him a name: The older big black bear has been affectionately christened "Junior".