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149: Bear Buffet [In the Dark pt.2: Hank the Tank]

Some crimes are crimes of passion. And sometimes those crimes can leave us In the Dark as to what to do. When one intruder can't get enough of the treasures locked inside the homes of local residents, law enforcement is left with an impossible question: how do you get a bear to stop craving Doritos? In bucolic Lake Tahoe the bears are making a mess of things, if only the clean up was so simple. This week on Well, I Laughed learn about the hilarious misadventures of Hank the Tank. The beloved menace who was unbothered by bear deterrence or calorie counts as she saddled up to the Bear Buffett.


Chapters

00:00:00 Catch-Up

Bear Buffet

Understanding the Bears

Meet 'Hank the Tank'

Kings Beach Bear

Back to Hank

Capture

More Bears

Legacy

A Bear Has Entered My House


Photos/Videos Referenced

Footprint found near a break-in in Feb 2022 - South Lake Tahoe Police Department
Footprint found near a break-in in Feb 2022 - South Lake Tahoe Police Department
Photos of bears who broke into an RV following the Caldor Fire Evacuation - courtesy of the CA Dept of Fish and Wildlife
Photos of bears who broke into an RV following the Caldor Fire Evacuation - courtesy of the CA Dept of Fish and Wildlife
Map of documented bear responses from the South Lake Tahoe Police Department, Aug 18 - Nov 4 2021 - courtesy of South Lake Tahoe PD via CDFW
Map of documented bear responses from the South Lake Tahoe Police Department, Aug 18 - Nov 4 2021 - courtesy of South Lake Tahoe PD via CDFW
'Hank the Tank' - courtesy of the California Dept of Fish and Wildlife
'Hank the Tank' - courtesy of the California Dept of Fish and Wildlife
'Hank the Tank' - courtesy of the BEAR League via NYT
'Hank the Tank' - courtesy of the BEAR League via NYT
The fence 'Hank' broke to enter the house through - South Lake Tahoe Police Department
The fence 'Hank' broke to enter the house through - South Lake Tahoe Police Department
The window 'Hank' broke to enter the house through - South Lake Tahoe Police Department
The window 'Hank' broke to enter the house through - South Lake Tahoe Police Department
Henrietta being transported to CO - courtesy of the CA Dept of Fish and Wildlife
Henrietta being transported to CO - courtesy of the CA Dept of Fish and Wildlife
Henrietta in her temporary enclosure before being released to the full 240 acres - courtesy of the Wild Animal Refuge
Henrietta in her temporary enclosure before being released to the full 240 acres - courtesy of the Wild Animal Refuge
Photo posted by the El Dorado County Sheriffs office on Facebook on Aug 19, 2025
Photo posted by the El Dorado County Sheriffs office on Facebook on Aug 19, 2025

Videos


Books featuring Hank the Tank


Sources


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