An Altadena homeowner got the surprise of his life when a large bear made itself comfortable in the crawlspace of his home.

Ken Johnson said he installed a camera on the side of his home after he noticed some things out of place. For months, he saw nothing of note except for a black bear that would occasionally grace his neighborhood with an appearance.

“Comes by every three months or so,” Johnson said of the wild animal. “Just walks up one driveway, walks down the other.”

As weeks went by, the camera didn’t catch anything odd – until this past week.

It was just an average week when Johnson saw the bear on camera, then noticed that the screen blocking the entrance to his property’s crawlspace was tampered with. Initially, the homeowner was in disbelief.

“When I saw it all torn up, I thought, ‘He must not be under there,’ because there is no way a bear could fit,” Johnson said.

However, he was wrong. The plump black bear successfully squeezed itself in and out of the small opening.

“Monday night, my camera went off and there he was coming up the driveway, knocking over the trash,” Johnson said. “And the next morning, there he is crawling out from under the crawlspace.”

Every day since that night, Johnson said the fuzzy squatter has been spotted on camera going back and forth from its new home. The Altadena resident said that on Friday, he got a not-so-warm greeting from the intruder.

“I went around to put batteries in the camera, and this huge growl comes from out from under the crawlspace and I just went running,” he said. “I mean, it was the most amazing roar you’ve ever heard. Like a lion with a hiss on top of it.”

Both Johnson and his beloved cat, Boo, are terrified of their new roommate and are looking for a fix. The homeowner said law enforcement told him as long as he stays inside his house, he’s safe.

“It is hilarious,” Johnson said. “I mean, I’m taking the lighter side of it, but it’s also worrying me a little bit having something so big and ferocious living right there! It’s kind of weird.”

Wildlife experts recommend a combination of electric fencing, sturdy grates and scent deterrents like ammonia to keep wild animals out of your home.

For now, Johnson said he tried to reach out to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for help.