A 500-pound black bear, nicknamed "Hank the Tank" who was responsible for at least 21 home break-ins, was captured by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
California Department of Fish and WildlifeLake Tahoe's infamous 500-pound black bear — nicknamed “Hank the Tank” for her massive size — was finally captured on Friday morning, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). The bear had been linked to at least 21 home break-ins in the South Lake Tahoe area, causing extensive property damage as far back as early 2022. The bear’s three male cubs — which had accompanied Hank on recent home break-ins — were also caught.
Hank was well-known to Tahoe area residents, but also the Internet at large — the bear’s immense girth and robust rap sheet made it an almost overnight internet celebrity, with some calling for Hank’s inclusion on the California state flag. Less funny was the havoc it wrecked on the Tahoe area: Hank the Tank had become so troublesome that South Lake Tahoe Police had to ask the public to stop calling with complaints about the bear.
According to a CDFW release, the bear — which shed a satellite tracking collar last May — had DNA traces discovered at 21 home invasions between February 2022 and May 2023, but the CDFW said it was also "suspected in additional break-ins and property damage."
While “bear 64f,” as it’s known, is tied to a tremendous amount of damage, CDFW noted it’s “one of multiple bears identified by the public last year as ‘Hank the Tank’ based on visual observations.” There could still be more “Hank the Tanks” out there.
Many of this particular bear's break-ins came during the winter, proof that California bears are hibernating less — a direct consequence of human-related activity.
“In Tahoe, food availability, climate change and living within close proximity to humans are all factors playing a role in the Tahoe bear’s diminishing hibernation,” wrote former SFGATE Tahoe contributing editor Julie Brown in 2022.
The bear will be transferred to the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado once it passes a veterinarian exam. The CDFW rarely approves relocations for problem animals but is making an exception given the high interest and extraordinary circumstances concerning Hank’s case.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis welcomed Hank to the state in a social media post.
The bear’s three cubs will be transferred to Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue with the hopes that they can one day be released back into the wild.