Heard Around the West

CALIFORNIA

or the longest time, I thought a local restaurant was called “The Hungry Bear.” It was actually “The Angry Bear,” and its name gave me pause, or should I say “paws?” Because why on earth would diners elect to eat somewhere “angry?” “Hungry bear” seems more accurate, especially now that we’ve met “Hank the Tank,” the famous black bear who’s been beary, beary busy the last few months pillaging a Lake Tahoe that the big bear is “severely food habituated,” meaning that he’s “lost all fear of people” and associates humans with dinner. Neither the authorities nor the animal advocacy groups had reached a consensus on exactly what to do with the destructive bear, but his fate looked grim — until DNA evidence taken from the scenes of the crimes, showed that Hank was not the only culprit; he had accomplices. According to the wildlife agency, at least two other bears were also responsible for the break-ins at South Lake Tahoe homes. This is a major break for Hank the Tank: Officials say they have withdrawn plans to capture and euthanize him, and instead will “trap tag and work to relocate habituated bears.” “All of these efforts are focused on keeping residents safe, and enabling safe and healthy conditions for these bears,” the agency said.