Black bear Yellow 2120 returns to an Altadena neighborhood crawlspace

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A tagged 550-pound black bear known as “Yellow 2120” has returned to an Altadena, California neighborhood, taking up temporary residence under a home on Minoru Drive on Monday.

Altadena Homeowners Confront Returning Resident

Steve Clark and his family discovered the massive black bear monitoring the premises through security cameras after the animal moved into the crawlspace of a Minoru Drive home. In an effort to drive the animal away, residents played loud music and operated a leaf blower. Those deterrents failed to immediately force the bear out.

“I didn’t even realize that the bear could get all the way back to that access point. He has to rip out ductwork and do a bunch of damage to get there,” Clark told NBC LA.

The animal eventually left the crawlspace on its own accord. While the affected homeowners promptly sealed the access point to prevent future intrusion, neighboring residents remain on high alert.

History of the Unwelcome Altadena Guest

“Yellow 2120” first gained widespread attention in November 2025 when homeowner Ken Johnson discovered the bear living underneath his Altadena house. Despite attempts involving sweet-scented lures and ammonia-doused towels deployed by California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife, the animal refused to vacate the den for two months.

The standoff finally ended in January when Johnson sought assistance from the Bear League, a volunteer organization dedicated to helping humans coexist with local wildlife. Members of the group ultimately forced the bear out using paintball guns.

“He’s a nuisance and he’s living under my house rent-free,” Johnson told the Orange County Register during the 2025 incident. “We call him … unbearable, but he’s so cute. Once he gets out, we’ll call him bearable, but for now it’s unbearable.”

Wildfire Displacements and Surging Encounters in Los Angeles County

Wildlife experts attribute part of the localized displacement to the Eaton wildfire, which tore through the Angeles National Forest and scorched parts of Altadena in January 2025. Following the disaster, multiple large bears sought refuge in evacuated residential neighborhoods.

Cort Klopping, a spokesperson for California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife, noted that “Yellow 2120” had previously taken shelter under another Altadena home during that post-fire period. Across Los Angeles County, urbanization encroaching on traditional bear habitats has driven a sharp increase in recorded sightings. California registered just 28 bear sightings in Los Angeles County in 2017, but that figure surged to 455 by 2023.

Alex Heeran, a research scientist studying human-wildlife interactions at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, explained to the Guardian that encounters typically peak in late summer and early fall as black bears ramp up their pre-hibernation foraging. Current tracking indicates that 2026 is on track to set a record for reported bear encounters.

Understanding California Black Bear Populations

California black bears represent the only surviving bear species in the state, with an estimated total population ranging between 49,000 and 71,000. Roughly 50 percent of the state’s bear population resides in the north coast and Cascade regions, while 40 percent inhabit the Sierra Nevada.

Wildlife authorities emphasize that black bears are generally non-confrontational animals, having accounted for only one recorded human fatality in California history.

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