It started as a normal day for a neighborhood in Monrovia, California, until things took a wild turn – literally.
As she went about her daily routine, Tina Herzog was startled to find an unexpected guest hiding right beneath her feet. But this wasn’t some little critter like a stray cat. Nope, it was a full-grown bear!
Yes, you heard that right. Known to the locals as Samson, this massive bear had made himself comfortable in Tina’s crawl space.
Tina was understandably panicking. She wasn’t just worried about the size of her new houseguest, but also what this hefty intruder might do to her home.
This bear was well-known in her neighborhood, often seen wandering the streets and yards. The idea of him damaging her home was a nightmare. She imagined the chaos Samson could cause – pipes burst, wires chewed, and repairs piling up.
It was clear the bear had to go. But how do you ask a bear to leave? That’s where the real challenge began.
Tina’s first thought was to call the police, which she did. Surely they’d know what to do, right? Unfortunately, the police didn’t have much luck as Samson was in no rush to move.
So, Tina got creative. She tried blasting the bear with the noise of a leaf blower, hoping it would spook him. But Samson chose to stick around.
Frustrated, Tina looked for solutions, and one suggestion caught her attention – mothballs. Apparently, bears can’t stand the smell.
So, she scattered mothballs all around, crossing her fingers that this would finally do the trick.
To her relief, it worked! Disgusted by the stench, Samson lumbered out of his makeshift den.
Tina’s victory was sweet, but everyone knew this wasn’t the last they’d see of Samson. Soon, he was found just a few doors down, crashing under someone else’s house.
This time, he picked a family with a baby on the way. Needless to say, they weren’t thrilled to have a bear living under their nursery.
Jaimey Tate, the homeowner, shared in an interview:
“It’s a little weird, about to have a baby and knowing that there’s a bear under the bedroom where you’re going to be putting the child.”
Samson’s new antics included tearing into their trash and leaving a mess. The family was so worried and unsure of what to do, especially with a newborn on the way.
Following Tina’s lead, they tried the mothball trick, but it didn’t work. It seemed the bear liked his new hideaway so much that the smell didn’t bother him at all. Jaimey jokingly remarked:
“A neighbor sent a picture of him in our yard the other day, and we thought, why is he in our yard? And then we realized he’s living here! And he’s not paying rent.”
The family reached out to authorities, hoping for some guidance on how to handle their unwelcome bear guest. However, there wasn’t much the officials could do.
Since Samson hadn’t posed any real threat to people, the authorities were limited in their options, as Jaimey explained:
“The best advice we’ve gotten this far is: put up a camera. When you see that he’s left, board it up so he can’t get back in, like use a piece of sheet metal and bolt it to the building so he can’t get back in, which is what we’ll try to do.”
Though Samson hasn’t caused any real harm, the tension is growing. The family is unsure how long he’ll stay or what he might do next.
All they can do is hope that Samson will get bored and wander to another spot. So, for now, everyone’s just keeping a close watch, hoping the bear will leave soon.
Until then, it’s just another wild chapter in life in Monrovia, where living alongside nature brings its own set of unpredictable (and sometimes big, furry) surprises!