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Aug. 7 (UPI) -- Hank the Tank, a large black bear responsible for at least 21 home break-ins in South Lake Tahoe, arrived at a Colorado wildlife sanctuary Tuesday after California officials captured her and three cubs. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife transported the bear, identified officially as 64F, to The Wild Animal Sanctuary near Springfield, Colo., after a veterinary check.
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"Hank arrived at 11:30 today and will live in a 230-acre natural habitat at our southeast Colorado facility known as The Wild Animal Refuge," Pat Craig, executive director of the sanctuary, told UPI in an email Tuesday.
"That facility is a 10,000-acre refuge for rescued wildlife, and Tank will live there for the rest of her life. The Refuge is as close to the same environment she came from, with her habitat being a completely forested space with pine trees, ponds and food provided daily. She will live with other rescued Black bears."
Biologists captured the bear Friday along with three cubs, the department said in a news release.
"The cubs were safely transported to Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue," CDFW spokesperson Jordan Traverso told UPI in an email. "The goal is to rehabilitate them. The time that can take varies. They will continue to be assessed to make sure they'll make it in the wild before they would be released."
Bear 64F earned the moniker Hank the Tank last year after a string of break-ins in South Lake Tahoe. DNA evidence confirmed that at least two other bears were involved in the break-ins, which resulted in extensive property damage and more than 150 calls to police.
"Relocation is not typically an option for conflict animals over concern that relocating an animal will relocate the conflict behavior to a different community," CDFW said. "However, given the widespread interest in this bear, and the significant risk of a serious incident involving the bear, CDFW is employing an alternative solution to safeguard the bear family as well as the people in the South Lake Tahoe community."
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis welcomed Hank the Tank to Colorado in a post on Twitter, noting that the bear "turned out to be Henrietta the Tank."
The three young cubs have been present during recent home break-ins. Wildlife officials hope to release them to the wild after rehabilitation at Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue in Petaluma. One of the cubs appears to have been struck by a vehicle earlier this month. The injured cub is mobile and will receive veterinary care.
In March, wildlife officials attached an ear tag and satellite tracking collar to Hank the Tank, when she was discovered denning under a home in South Lake Tahoe. Her three male cubs also were microchipped at that time.
Reports of break-ins and property damage have continued since then. Her tracking collar slipped off in May. DNA evidence confirmed her presence at 21 home invasions, and she is suspected in other break-ins.
"There are lots of other bears in Tahoe. Many have likely had incidents in campgrounds and homes," Traverso said.
"The bottom line is that humans need to do better at securing garbage, picking up fruit that has fallen from trees, putting barbecues away and eliminating all attractants for wild animals, including bears. If humans behaved better in this way, these situations could be avoided, and bears would have a natural fear of humans and their dwellings."
