Notorious Lake Tahoe Bear Euthanized After Years of Break-Ins and Conflict

After years of breaking into homes, damaging cars, and charging at campers, a notorious black bear in the Lake Tahoe Basin has been lethally removed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).

Known by its ear tag number “717,” the nearly 400-pound bear had a long history of conflict behavior, including repeated break-ins at homes and businesses, and confrontations with people at campsites. Originally captured and relocated in 2021, the bear quickly returned to Tahoe and resumed its troubling behavior.

CDFW officials had attempted to haze and trap the bear multiple times without success. On July 7, while monitoring bear activity near campgrounds in Meeks Bay, CDFW staff responded to a report of a bear inside a home. The bear was confirmed to be 717, and given its extensive track record of dangerous behavior and damage, it was lethally removed on the spot.

The bear, sustained by years of human food and trash, was found to have severely rotted teeth and poor health. Its remains were returned to the forest to decompose naturally—later moved to prevent accidental human encounters.

CDFW emphasized that lethal removal is always a last resort, and that keeping bears wild starts with public responsibility: secure trash, remove food attractants, and use bear-proof containers.

This incident highlights the growing challenge of human-bear conflict in Tahoe and the urgent need for better coexistence strategies. For more on black bear management in California, CDFW recently updated its statewide conservation plan for the first time in over 20 years.