Knock knock.
Who’s there?
It’s Tank
Tank who?
Tank you for that pizza.
I guess that's what I think a bear sounds like.
Hank, the 225 kg (500 lb) black bear,
is on a pizza bender
and he’s been breaking into North American homes
to get his fix.
Your home could be next.
Tag. You’re it.
Here’s everything you need to know to get
one-up on Hank the Tank.
Hank is one of 900,00 black
bears living in the
heavily wooded areas and dense bushlands
of North America.
He is about 100 kg (220 lb)
heavier than most other bears.
And he’s also an expert at breaking and entering.
But mostly,
it’s food he wants.
Since July 2021,
Hank has broken into 28 homes around the city
of South Lake Tahoe in California.
The local police received over 100 calls
reporting home invasions by a black bear.
Hank has weaponized his bulk
to force open garages and doors.
But no humans were hurt during
the filming of this footage.
Once inside,
Hank usually just sits and eats in peace.
Local authorities have now realized that Hank
isn't working alone.
There are at least two other black bears in the area
that have taken to this life of crime.
The local police and wildlife authorities have
sprung into action.
Paintballs, tasers and sirens were used.
Except guess what.
Nothing startles these guys.
And it isn’t really their fault.
Bears have lived close to human habitations
for centuries.
Considering their high motivation for food,
it’s not very surprising that they have figured
out how to work all sorts of doors.
They are also incredibly intelligent.
A 2012 study found that black bears
can count as well as some primates can.
So yeah,
spare yourself the expense of that
combination lock on your door.
A bear’s sense of smell
is also about as good as it gets in the animal kingdom.
In preparation for hibernation,
black bears will sniff their way to consume 20,000 calories
worth of food in the fall.
That’s four times more than their usual intake.
During this time,
a bear can spend as much as 20 hours every day eating
and gain as much as 45 kg (100 lb) in a week.
Given a choice,
a bear will always prefer its own all-natural diet.
It turns to human food sources
only when it can’t find what it’s looking for
or
if it develops a taste for your high protein pet food,
garbage or tasty barbecue grills.
I can't blame them there.
It doesn’t help that across the globe,
humans have been steadily encroaching on bear habitats,
hampering their way of life.
The freedom of remote working during
the COVID-19 pandemic
brought more inexperienced humans closer to nature,
and into bear territory.
These city-dwelling humans were a lot less
careful with their garbage disposal.
With year-round access to food,
Hank and friends could skip hibernating.
So what should you do when Hank
or his buddies come calling?
Figure out what door they came through
and ensure it’s clear for them to leave from.
Don’t back down
and make sure Hank knows it’s not a free-for-all
by making as much noise as you can.
Flash some bright lights.
If your unwanted guest is in your yard,
you could use a garden hose
or try throwing a small rock at its rump.
But don’t try any of that on a grizzly bear.
Give it all the room it wants and call a conservation officer
immediately.
But what’s to become of Hank?
Authorities have decided not to euthanize the Tank.
Thank goodness.
He was last spotted in March 2022,
and he and his friends have not been active for weeks.
If caught, they will be tagged for easier tracking
and released somewhere with
a better supply of bear food that
doesn't require foraging through your cupboards.
Not everyone out there wants to keep Hank
and other wild animals out of their homes.
What happens when people domesticate wild animals?
Find out in another episode of Crazy Creatures.
Breaking into your home
and raiding your refrigerator
is what some black bears do.
Specially Hank the tank.
And that’s why they’re