225kg bear Hank the Tank ransacks town, sparks debate over euthanisation

An enormous black bear has broken into at least 38 homes in recent months, leaving locals divided on whether it should be killed.

A 225kg black bear known as Hank the Tank is terrorising Lake Tahoe residents.

It’s got a fat chance of survival.

California wildlife authorities are facing backlash from Lake Tahoe residents over their campaign to catch and euthanise a 225kg black bear named Hank the Tank who’s wreaking havoc in the area, the New York Post reports.

“This one individual bear has been linked to property damage at 38 different properties at least,” Peter Tira, representing the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, told KCRA 3 in Sacramento of the problem animal, which resides in the wealthy Tahoe Keys neighbourhood.

Per the wildlife authorities, the obese bruin — since nicknamed “Hank the Tank” — has reportedly been the source of more than 150 calls between law enforcement and wildlife personnel recently.

They reported that despite efforts to dissuade it, the chonky boy caused “extensive property damage and forcefully entered several homes — including occupied homes.”

Tira told the New York Times the bear has developed a penchant for pizza and has not been deterred by efforts from local police to scare it off with paintballs and sirens.

“It’s easier to find leftover pizza than to go in the forest,” Tira said

“This is a bear that has lost all fear of people,” he added. “It’s a potentially dangerous situation.”

Hank the Tank. Picture: Bear League/Facebook

In order to mitigate Yogi’s destruction spree, the CDFW has been setting up traps to catch the blubbery beast — but to no avail.

“The trapping activity is a measure of last resort to capture and euthanize a specific and what we call a severely habituated or human-food conditioned black bear,” Tira said.

However, the bear hunt sparked an outcry from residents, who tried to sabotage them by trying to scare away the bear, playing loud music, and even spray-painting “Bear Killer” on the government’s trap, per the Nevada current.

Meanwhile, bear activist group the BEAR League has been co-ordinating with the CDFW to transport Yogi to a safe haven.

“The BEAR League reached out to the director of an excellent out-of-state wildlife sanctuary who agreed he has room and would be very willing to give this bear a permanent home,” said executive director Ann Bryant. “We notified [the California Department of Fish and Wildlife] on Tuesday morning asking that this option be seriously considered rather than killing the bear.”

Hank sniffs out another home for a slice of pepperoni pizza. Picture: Bear League/Facebook

She added, “[They] immediately responded to us stating they will co-ordinate internally and get back to us.”

However, Bryant doesn’t see sanctuaries as the permanent solution, and instead urges Tahoe Keys residents to practice preventive measures such as securing garbage, and keeping trash out of cars.

“Homeowners and visitors need to do their part to keep the bears out of trouble so they can live wild and free,” she said. “The various reasons that the bears get into trouble is because people do this and they teach the bears that’s a good way to make a living.”

“He didn’t get fat like that eating berries and grubs,” she added.

This article was originally published by the New York Post and reproduced with permission