The five hundred-pound black bear generally known as Hank the Tank that has been ransacking houses in California has been filmed startling residents bathing in a sizzling tub.

The footage of a big black bear regarded as Hank the Tank exhibits it roaming over a snow-covered avenue whereas stunned residents watch on from a distance.

"The bear's again," a voice is heard saying within the video. "We have been simply sitting right here within the sizzling tub. And the bear is simply strolling round. And I feel it is Hank the Tank."

"He is an enormous boy. Think about if he stood up and got here in direction of you," one other individual says.

Hank the Tank went viral after photographs and photographs of his antics in South Lake Tahoe Keys have been posted to social media.

The black bear has been visiting the city since July and damaged into dozens of houses since.

California Division of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) mentioned Hank had grown so used to human meals that he posed a possible danger to folks. The CDFW scheduled Hank for euthanasia and put in a bear lure exterior a house earlier this month with the purpose of capturing him. The lure was eliminated after it didn't snare the bear and was graffitied with the phrases "bear killer."

Conservation teams corresponding to BEAR League and their supporters have urged wildlife authorities to relocate the bear as an alternative of killing him.

A Change.org petition calling on California Governor Gavin Newsom and the State Meeting to spare Hank's life can be gaining traction, with over 2,600 folks having now signed it.

The petition additionally appealed to the Folks for the Moral Therapy of Animals (PETA) group to assist forestall Hank being killed. "There is not any must take a Wyatt Earp strategy when humane options for coping with wildlife conflicts abound," a PETA spokesperson advised Newsweek beforehand.

"PETA will gladly assist officers discover Hank the Tank a brand new residence at an exquisite sanctuary, which might take his breaking and coming into off the desk, hold him nicely fed, and hold native householders protected."

There are an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 black bears residing in California. Males sometimes weigh between 210 to 315 kilos, however can develop as much as 600 kilos. As opposition to killing Hank the Tank grew, the CDFW mentioned it was not sure whether or not it might be attainable to rehome the bear.

"You relocate a bear like this, you relocate an issue to a different group," CDFW spokesperson Peter Tira advised SFGATE. "You relocate it to the wilderness, and so they starve as a result of they don't seem to be used to trying to find meals. They die a sluggish, agonizing loss of life."

The final identified time Hank broke right into a Tahoe Keys residence was February 18. He smashed by way of the small glass window of the home and started looking for meals. He left after SLTPD officers arrived and scared him off by making loud noises.

On Wednesday, South Lake Tahoe Keys Police Division (SLTPD) posted a press release to Fb urging folks to cease calling them concerning the bear as a result of it was hampering their operations.

Storyful screenshot of Hank the Tank
Screenshot of Storyful video exhibiting Hank the Tank. The five hundred-pound bear has damaged into dozens of houses searching for meals in South Lake Tahoe Keys. Sonja Gilliam through Storyful