SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The local Tahoe bear, who has been at the center of controversy between bear advocates and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), brought out not only a crowd of passionate bear advocates on Thursday, but also South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) and South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD).

A local property manager called CDFW after a bear broke into a home on Butler Avenue on August 21. The responding staff member noticed evidence of another home also being broken into by a bear and went to investigate. There was no answer at the door, so she peeked in the window and saw flames on the stove and called 911.

CDFW stated their employee was at the scene originally to collect DNA. Once they responded to the area, they found 753 and her cub had fled up a nearby tree.

According to SLTFR, the bear had apparently turned on the stove and knocked down some spices from the cabinet onto the stove. A spice container melted and caused the flames that the CDFW staff member saw. SLTFR said the bear had also knocked over napkins, and they were lucky it wasn’t a house fire they were responding to.

Once the BEAR League, other bear advocates, and neighbors heard CDFW was in the area, assuming they were most likely looking for #753 (also known as Hope) and her cub, they headed to Butler Avenue. The CDFW staff member was armed with a paintgun for hazing purposes and stayed in the yard of the home due to the agitation level of the crowd. She was on the phone with the owners of the home as the crowd gathered, with them giving her permission to be in their backyard.

SLTFR pushed the glass back into the frame where the bear pushed it out, and they left the scene once secure.

SLTPD Lt. Scott Crivelli said he will be meeting with CDFW next week to discuss the current bear situation and the reported possibility of #753/Hope being euthanized due to the number of break-ins they say she is responsible for. The wildlife agency told Crivelli they would not be using any traps or euthanization methods until they had discussed the bear. If the pair is seen before, then they will use diversion tactics to steer them away from homes.

This story was updated on Friday evening with some new information from a CDFW blog post about the situation.

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