Rescuers Lure a 525-Pound Bear From His Wildfire Hiding Spot With a Juicy Rotisserie Chicken After He Survived the LA Fires by Hiding Under a Neighbor's House

Author image for Jesse Kessenheimer
Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Feb 18, 2025 4:00 AM EST

Fires are terrifying. As a native Californian and resident on the West Coast my entire life, I can attest that wildfires are just as terrifying as they look on TV. As a kid, I fell asleep watching the fire detector light flashing in my bedroom, wondering if the batteries were working or not—just in case. 

Luckily for humans, we have the option to hop in a car and flee from oncoming wind gusts, flying embers, and raging flames, but for wildlife, it's not so simple. Animals must rely on their own 4 paws to take them away from oncoming danger, and they don't have those handy fire maps online to help guide them away from danger. With only their instincts, snoots, and four little legs to guide them, wildlife scampers away from impending doom—sometimes, they run and hide directly in the urban developments. 

By accident, Berry, the 525-pound black bear, was discovered under a man's house in Alta Dena shortly after the widlfires ripped through their local wilderness. Relieved that their house was spared, the man was thrilled until he realized he faced another predicament of the animalian variety. 

Keep scrolling for the full tale of the heroes who saved the bear who survived the fires by hunkering down with the hoomans!

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  • HOW DO YOU LURE A 525-POUND BEAR OUT FROM UNDER A HOME?
    via nationalparknews via californiadfw
  • WITH ROTISSERIE CHICKEN!
    via nationalparknews via californiadfw
  • nationalparknews New video and more details are emerging about a big ol' bear found in the crawl space of a home after wildfires swept through parts of Southern California.
    via nationalparknews via californiadfw
  • "Berry" the bear, also sometimes called "Victor" by folks in Altadena, was found under a home after the Eaton Fire. Utility crews were trying to restore power when they stumbled across the 525-pound bear, which was the biggest bear one of the biologists had ever seen in person, according to the homeowner Samy Arbid.
    via nationalparknews via californiadfw
  • WILDLIFE CREWS BOUGHT A CHICKEN, APPLES, PEANUT BUTTER AND MORE
    via nationalparknews via californiadfw
  • TO GET THE BIG BEAR OUT OF THE TIGHT CRAWL SPACE WHERE HE WAS FOUND AFTER THE CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES.
    via nationalparknews via californiadfw
  • HOLLYWOOD L 3
    via flyingaround

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  • ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST KEVIN HOWELLS So unfortunately, the Palisades and Eaton fires
    via californiadfw

    This specialist warns the population living nearby the wilderness that critters fleeing from the fires may be present in the urban areas, but this homeowner certainly didn't expect to find a gigantic, semi-hibernating bear in his house. 

  • CALIFORNIA have displaced a lot of people and wildlife in Los Angeles County.
    via californiadfw
  • CALIFORNIA As residents begin to repopulate in their communities, they may encounter displaced wildlife.
    via californiadfw
  • Cheezburger Image 10468402432
    via nationalparknews via californiadfw

    How can we blame this adorable little face? Berry was simply scared of the wildfires, as many of us were, and fled to the only safe place he could find. Without realizing that he was a terrifyingly enormous apex predator, scared Berry hid under an unsuspecting neighbor's house in their safe, sneaky crawlspace.

  • The California Department of Fish and Wildlife couldn't tranquilize the bear because he would have been too big and heavy to drag out, especially through a tight entry space.
    via nationalparknews via californiadfw
  • "So, they went to Stater Brothers and bought some rotisserie chicken and sardines and tomato sauce, apples, peanut butter - all kinds of stuff," Arbid told KCAL. "They made a feast for him."
    via nationalparknews via californiadfw
  • It worked! The bear walked right into a bear enclosure, and the door closed behind him. CDFW released Berry into the Angeles National Forest after a health check. He was also tagged with a new radio collar so wildlife experts can track him in the future.
    via nationalparknews via californiadfw
  • Cheezburger Image 10468403712
    via nationalparknews via californiadfw

    Look at the size of those paws!

  • W THEY RELEASED HIM IN ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST.
    via nationalparknews via californiadfw

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la wildfire wholesome adorable wild animals escape boost house mood booster bears palisades fires cute animals cute bear Memes survived wildlife wildfire alta dena funny animal memes animal animal memes hiding funny animals animals cuteness overload wild rescue
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