Hank the Tank, the 500-pound black bear accused of ransacking houses in the Lake Tahoe area, won't be moved to a new location or sanctuary or be killed because of new DNA evidence, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Earlier this month, California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials named Hank a "severely food-habituated" conflict bear, as he was thought to have entered nearly 30 homes in the area in seven months in search of food, as the Los Angeles Times reported then. It added that officials received permission from homeowners in the area to place traps for Hank the Tank and that, if caught, he could be moved tor killed.
But as the Bee now reports, DNA evidence collected from the break-in sites suggests Hank the Tank was not behind all the break-ins and that two other bears had also been burglarizing the area. Because of this, it says that Hank the Tank has received a reprieve and that while officials will still place traps, any bear caught will be tagged, have a genetic sample taken, and released into a suitable habitat, but not euthanized.
Officials further call on residents and visitors to the area to properly store their food and trash so it is less enticing to bears.