An overweight black bear nicknamed "Hank the Tank" is gaining international fame following a series of break-ins across a California mountain town that has pitted authorities against bear-supporting locals.
Hank, who has been feasting on rubbish and carelessly disposed human food, is estimated to tip the scales at about 225 kilograms, much heavier than normal for male black bears in the western US, where they usually max out at about 135kg.
Over the weekend, Hank broke into a home by squeezing through a small window, the South Lake Tahoe Police Department said on Facebook.
"This bear did not break into a garage where trash was kept that he was sniffing out. He broke into a secured home, through the small window in the photo, and somehow squeezed inside," police said.
"It's not very nice to break people's property!! We want them to go back to their homes in the forest."
The bear has been rummaging for food in South Lake Tahoe since last summer. The resort city in the Sierra Nevada mountains borders Nevada and overlooks the famous eponymously-named lake.
American black bears are the most common bear in North America. They are smaller and less aggressive than their grizzly cousins, but often come into contact with humans living near wild areas and are frequently drawn by the smell of rubbish and food.
Peter Tira, a spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, told the New York Times that authorities have tried to scare Hank away by firing paintballs at him and using other non-lethal deterrents, but the lure of human food has failed to keep him away for long.
“It’s easier to find leftover pizza than to go in the forest,” Mr Tira told the Times.
“This is a bear that has lost all fear of people ... It’s a potentially dangerous situation.”
Authorities have said the giant bear should be trapped and might need to be euthanised, worried that relocating it might just move the problem to another area.
Many locals and observers from around the world are aghast that Hank's days might be numbered.
A bear advocacy group called the Bear League says it has offers from multiple bear sanctuaries to house the ursine.
"Everyone is expressing their horror over the plans to kill Hank," Bear League said on Facebook.
"We haven’t talk to or heard from a single person who thinks the bear deserves to die. After all, he is only answering the ring of the dinner bell, as all bears do."
A Twitter campaign called #savehankthetank was gaining popularity on Monday, with users calling for the bear's survival.
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THE%20SPECS
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Group A
Paraguay
Japan
Switzerland
USA
Group B
Uruguay
Mexico
Italy
Tahiti
Group C
Belarus
UAE
Senegal
Russia
Group D
Brazil
Oman
Portugal
Nigeria
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Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
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Available: Now
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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The%20Last%20White%20Man
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Mohsin%20Hamid%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E192%20pages%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPublished%20by%3A%20Hamish%20Hamilton%20(UK)%2C%20Riverhead%20Books%20(US)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERelease%20date%3A%20out%20now%20in%20the%20US%2C%20August%2011%20(UK)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Empires%20of%20the%20Steppes%3A%20A%20History%20of%20the%20Nomadic%20Tribes%20Who%20Shaped%20Civilization
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Norway
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3EFounder%3A%20Hani%20Abu%20Ghazaleh%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20with%20an%20office%20in%20Montreal%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%202018%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Virtual%20Reality%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%20%241.2%20million%2C%20and%20nearing%20close%20of%20%245%20million%20new%20funding%20round%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2012%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Stars: Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant
Three out of five stars
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If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes. Portland is a 260 km drive from Seattle and Emirates offers codeshare flights to Portland with its partner Alaska Airlines.
The car
Hertz (www.hertz.ae) offers compact car rental from about $300 per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.
Parks and accommodation
For information on Crater Lake National Park, visit www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm . Because of the altitude, large parts of the park are closed in winter due to snow. While the park’s summer season is May 22-October 31, typically, the full loop of the Rim Drive is only possible from late July until the end of October. Entry costs $25 per car for a day. For accommodation, see www.travelcraterlake.com. For information on Umpqua Hot Springs, see www.fs.usda.gov and https://soakoregon.com/umpqua-hot-springs/. For Bend, see https://www.visitbend.com/.
