One of the most prolific thieves in the South Lake Tahoe, Calif., area was “safely immobilized” by tranquilizer dart and apprehended Friday morning, according to state officials: a 400-pound black bear that the public had come to know as Hank the Tank.
The captured bear was responsible for at least 21 DNA-confirmed home break-ins and extensive property damage in Tahoe Keys dating back to early 2022, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a news release.
Based on visual observations made by residents during a string of rummaging and ransacking incidents dating back to 2021, the public initially thought “Hank the Tank” was one male bear.
“I guess they all technically are ‘Hank the Tank,’” Jordan Traverso, a spokeswoman for the department, said.
She said the “other Hanks” have not “presented themselves as problems” this year in Tahoe Keys, a gated community about 190 miles northeast of San Francisco.
Persons:
Hank the, Hank, “, ” Jordan Traverso, Hanks
Organizations:
California Department of Fish, Wildlife
Locations:
Tahoe, Calif, Tahoe Keys, Colorado, San Francisco