Strange Noises in a California House Turned Out to be from Hibernating Bears

Hibernating bears were discovered under a California house as the end draws near for the spring season when the furry carnivorous mammals were supposed to wake up.

However, the animals were likely caught up in their seasonal slumber since their long-overdue preparation for the winter season.

Strange Rumbling Noises

(Photo : JURE MAKOVEC/AFP via Getty Images)

Residents in South Lake Tahoe, California, finally pieced the puzzle together as to the mystery behind the strange noises in the form of snoring under one of its houses.

It turned out that a mother bear and her four cubs were hibernating underneath one of the city's neighborhoods.

However, neighbors of the said California house was doubtful at first that such sounds exist. It was only when months have passed that they were able to figure it out last week.

In a Facebook post published by the BEAR League on April 19, it can be seen that a bear is hiding behind trees after apparently waking up from hibernation at the said Lake Tahoe house.

In the post, the mother bear was "not cooperating" for picture taking and was just waiting for her four cubs to emerge from the house, where they eventually reached her.

Afterward, the bear family reportedly ventured into the wilderness and eventually disappeared.

Prior to their disappearance, the homeowners contacted the BEAR League to evict their furry guest, along with her cubs, which were not initially known to be present at their house.

Still, it confirmed their speculations that a bear was causing the snoring noises.

Furthermore, the organization said the mother bear was only three cubs last year but adopted another one in the neighborhood, before finding their chosen house with an unprotected crawl space opening, as a hibernation den in preparation for the winter.

Also Read: 'Highly-Predatory' Brown Bear Killed 28 Newborn Reindeers After Waking From Hibernation

Bear Encounters in the Area

The BEAR League added that it is common for black bears, which have a healthy population in the Lake Tahoe area, to find unsecured crawl spaces for winter hibernation, as cited by NBC News.

The group also said that after the story reached the national headlines, it will hopefully encourage people to secure their crawl space openings.

Last summer, another bear family, consisting of the mother and her three cubs, rushed through the South Lake Tahoe beach along with several beachgoers.

The incident went viral online.

What is Hibernation?

The winter season is marked by cold or freezing temperatures, in addition to heavy snow or blizzard conditions.

While some animals migrate or take shelter to withstand winter, it is also during this period that some animals have developed the biological mechanism to survive through hibernation.

Other cases of evolutionary biology show that some animals developed a thick coating of furs to resist low temperatures.

However, hibernation is reportedly one of the most efficient survival strategies since most foods for some animals are scarce during the winter.

According to the National Forest Foundation, hibernation is a voluntary state where an animal enters into a prolonged version of sleeping to conserve energy and minimize its exposure to the harsh winter elements.

Hibernation may take several weeks or months, depending on if the hibernating animal will not be interrupted by external factors, including predators, human activities, or natural phenomena.

Related Article: Bears' Hibernation Linked To Unusual Changes In Their Gut Microbes