Hank the Tank, according to the version of the story we believed we knew, was a hungry, gobbling trespasser who had broken into scores of homes to maintain his 500-pound bulk, unconcerned about human concerns like doors and etiquette.
That is, for the most part, correct. However, after the black bear’s story gained international prominence this week. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced on Thursday that the animal did not act alone.
Latest DNA tests revealed that the 500-pound black bear, Hank the Tank, is not a single bear. At least three not-so-little bears have wreaked havoc on more than 30 properties.
The bear has caused substantial damage to 33 properties and forced entry into at least 28 homes, according to the CDFW. For more than seven months, the enormous bear has escaped capture.
“The incidents primarily occurred during the summer and fall of 2021, when the bear was in hyperphagia, adding calories to survive the winter,” said wildlife department spokesperson Peter Tira
Hank the Tank: “Severely food habituated bear”
The Department of Fish and Wildlife has stated that bear trapping would commence in the South Lake Tahoe area.
The trio is being tagged and evidence is being collected for genetic examination. The bears will then release in a ‘suitable habitat’ as soon as possible.
In the territory bordering Northern California and Nevada, Hank the Tank bear is responsible for over 150 incident reports.
While the residents were at home, the bear shattered a window and crept into the house on Catalina Drive. Police arrived and pounded on the house’s exterior until Hank exited through the back door and vanished into the woods.
The bear, also famous as Jake, Yogi, or just Big Guy, is a “severely food habituated bear”. He has “lost all fear of people” and sees them as a food source, according to Tira.