Mother bear, 3 cubs captured after spate of home break-ins in Lake Tahoe area

After a spate of home break-ins and extensive property damage along the South Lake Tahoe area, authorities have finally apprehended the culprits: a female black bear and her three baby cubs.

DNA evidence confirmed the mother bear and her three accomplices broke into 21 homes between February 2022 and May 2023, though they may be linked to additional home invasions, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced in a statement Friday. The agency had been tracking the female black bear, officially known as 64F, for months before capturing her and her cubs.

Troublesome bears aren’t typically relocated to another community, but 64F’s celebrity status and fan adoration convinced wildlife biologists to act otherwise.

“Given the widespread interest in this bear, and the significant risk of a serious incident involving the bear, CDFW is employing an alternative solution to safeguard the bear family as well as the people in the South Lake Tahoe community,” the fish and wildlife agency said in a statement.

The sow will be transported to the Wild Animal Sanctuary near Springfield, Colo., where it’ll be free to roam with others of its kind. The Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue in Petaluma will care for the cubs in hopes of reforming their bad behavior and releasing them back into the wild. The cubs will receive a thorough veterinary evaluation.

“I think this is the best outcome for both the community and for that bear family. Her behavior has been off the charts and her cubs were being indoctrinated into becoming future conflict bears under her tutelage,” commented one user on the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Facebook page announcing 64F’s capture.

It turns out the 500-pound mama bear is one of several bears observed and nicknamed by the public as “Hank the Tank,” officials said. In 2022, authorities were able to tag her ear and attached a satellite tracking collar when they discovered her denning under a residence with her three cubs. The cubs were also tagged with microchips for future identification.

Bear havoc isn’t novel to the Lake Tahoe community. In foothill communities throughout California, black bears have been known to trample through backyards, crawl in through open windows and dig through trash to forage for snacks.