Who is ‘Hank the Tank’? Thieving 500-pound bear causing controversy in California community
LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (KRON) – Hank the Tank is bigger than the average bear.
Weighing 500 pounds, the black bear was nicknamed by the South Lake Tahoe Police Department for its enormous size, partly achieved by breaking into dozens of homes and feasting on homeowners’ groceries.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is considering its options for how to handle Hank.
The bear is beloved by many longtime local residents who believe in the importance of co-existing with all of Tahoe’s wildlife.
“He’s famous. We’re trying to save him, even though he’s a troublemaker,” Lake Tahoe resident Deanne Belardino told KRON.
Hank the Tank has broken into 28 homes and prompted more than 100 calls to police over the past seven months. The bear was recorded lumbering arou...