Bear Known As ‘Hank The Tank’ Moved To Sanctuary After Breaking Into 21 Homes

A female black bear who wildlife authorities say broke into at least 21 California homes has been relocated to an animal sanctuary in Colorado.

Henrietta is now getting used to her new digs at the Wild Animal Refuge near Springfield, according to a Facebook post shared Friday.

“WELCOME HOME!” wrote the Wild Animal Sanctuary, the nonprofit that operates the refuge. Its social media post included photos of Henrietta inside a temporary “introduction enclosure” in a 230-acre habitat where she’ll ultimately be able to roam.

Henrietta was formerly known as the notorious “Hank the Tank” ― though her identity is a little complex.

In February last year, state officials pinned a series of 28 home invasions in South Lake Tahoe, California, on a 500-pound black bear, who came to be called Hank the Tank.

But not long after, DNA evidence showed that the ursine break-ins were not the work of just one burglary-happy bear. It turned out that at least three different bears had been entering residences and seeking food in the wealthy neighborhood of Tahoe Keys.

Henrietta was one of those three bears. She was captured earlier this month, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said that DNA evidence proved she had personally broken into 21 homes between February 2022 and May 2023. A press release from the agency also said she was “suspected” in additional incidents.

“I guess they all technically are ‘Hank the Tank,’” department spokesperson Jordan Traverso told The New York Times. She added that the other two Hanks have not “presented themselves as problems” this year, so authorities are leaving them alone for now.

Henrietta’s habitat at the sanctuary is forested with pine trees, and she’ll be able to interact with other black bears and hibernate as she would naturally, Wild Animal Sanctuary Executive Director Pat Craig told USA Today.

Henrietta had three cubs that were also taken into custody. Instead of being sent to the sanctuary with their mother, the cubs went to Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue in Petaluma, where they will be rehabilitated with the goal of releasing them back to the wild.

All in all, the bear family is lucky. Craig told the Times that most “problem bears” in the United States wind up being killed. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife even noted in its press release that decisions made about Henrietta and her cubs were influenced by “widespread interest” in her story from the public.