'Hank the Tank': DNA evidence spares 500lb burglar bear

Source: BBC

'Hank the Tank': DNA evidence spares 500lb burglar bear

25 February 2022

California's burliest burglar is no longer the lone suspect in nearly 40 home break-ins across the Lake Tahoe region, wildlife officials have said.

Residents have made more than 150 calls since last summer about "Hank the Tank", a 500lb (227kg) black bear with a raging appetite for human food.

But DNA samples have now linked at least two other bears to the crime scenes.

That means officials will no longer seek to put down the wild animal.

"No bears will be euthanised, harmed, relocated to some facility or placed in a zoo," said Peter Tira, a spokesperson for the California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW).

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Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-60532151


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