A massive black bear has been burglarizing homes around Lake Tahoe for a somewhat-insane seven months now, smashing doors and windows while people are gone to ransack their kitchens for food. Nicknamed Hank the Tank for his immense size -- weighing it at an estimated 500 pounds -- Hank has reportedly "lost all fear of humans" and now sees the Lake Tahoe residential community as his primary food source. 


Advertisement


Residents are divided over what to do about Hank, with many in the Lake Tahoe Community understandably upset about the extensive property damage that Hank has caused across his almost-40 break-ins and worried that Hank the Tank may use some of his impressive size to attack someone. 




Because of the overabundance of food, Hank has more than tripled in size since his ransacking began over half a year ago. Despite this, and despite plenty of amateur footage of the bear burglar at work, Hank has managed to escape the clutches of local authorities for months on end. 



While Lake Tahoe Residents are frustrated with the Fish & Wildlife department's failure to capture Hank thus far, as the story of Hank the Tank has gained traction on the internet, the South Lake Tahoe police department was compelled to issue a statement asking people to stop calling the emergency services hotline just to give their opinion about what to do with Hank. 



Since the fracas began and was picked up by news outlets this week, Hank has become something of an internet sensation, with people busy arguing over what the fate of the bear burglar should ultimately be, but also appreciating his rotundity. 











Clearly, Hank has captured the minds of many and the story of this Winnie the Poo/El Chapo hybrid is one that will have many an attentive audience member as the saga continues to develop.