A black bear known as Yellow 2120 has returned to the Los Angeles neighborhood of Altadena, where it was previously documented living under a residence in November 2025. The bear was spotted in the crawlspace of a home on Minoru Drive on Monday, according to reports. The animal had been driven out of other Altadena neighborhood crawlspaces but continued returning to the area.
KEY FACTS
- Yellow 2120 is a 550lb black bear that went viral for living under an LA home.
- The bear returned to Altadena and was found in a crawlspace on Minoru Drive.
- It first gained attention in November 2025 after taking up residence under an Altadena home.
- The bear had been driven out of other Altadena crawlspaces but kept coming back.
What happens next for the Altadena bear?
The bear, identified by the tag number Yellow 2120, first drew widespread attention in November 2025 when it established a den beneath a home in Altadena. Local residents and wildlife officials worked to relocate the animal, but it repeatedly returned to the neighborhood. Bears are highly mobile mammals that follow seasonal food and shelter patterns, and urban-wildland interfaces like Altadena — located at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains — bring them into closer contact with humans.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife typically responds to bear sightings by assessing whether the animal poses a threat to public safety or property. When bears become habituated to human environments, relocation can be challenging because they often return to familiar territory. Wildlife experts generally advise residents not to approach or feed bears and to secure garbage and food sources to reduce attractants.
Who is affected by the bear’s presence?
Homeowners in the Minoru Drive area are directly affected when wildlife takes up residence in crawlspaces. Such situations can raise concerns about property damage, safety, and the stress of coexisting with large wild animals in densely populated neighborhoods. The city of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County sometimes provide resources or guidance to residents dealing with wildlife encounters, though enforcement and response protocols vary by jurisdiction.
This is not the first time a bear has appeared in Southern California residential areas. Black bears are native to California but historically ranged more widely before urban development reduced their habitat. As suburban expansion continues, encounters between bears and residents have become more common, particularly in foothill communities bordering national forests.
What We Know — and What We Don’t
Verified by the source:
- The bear is tagged as Yellow 2120.
- It weighs approximately 550lb.
- It was previously documented under an Altadena home in November 2025.
- It was recently spotted in a crawlspace on Minoru Drive.
- It had been driven out of other Altadena crawlspaces but returned.
Still unconfirmed:
- The exact date the bear was spotted on Monday.
- Whether officials captured or relocated the bear.
- Names of homeowners involved.
- Specific actions taken by wildlife authorities.
Why It Matters
Bear encounters in residential Southern California highlight the growing overlap between urban development and wildlife habitat. As climate change and habitat loss reshape animal behavior, cities must balance public safety with conservation. Understanding how bears adapt to human-altered landscapes offers broader insight into ecology and urban planning challenges. For more on wildlife and environmental issues, see our climate-environment coverage and health-science reporting.
What To Watch
Residents and officials will be watching whether wildlife responders are able to safely relocate the bear or if it continues returning to the Altadena neighborhood.
A black bear known as Yellow 2120 has returned to an Altadena crawlspace after previously going viral for living under a Los Angeles home.