Pismo Beach Police responded to a trespassing call Wednesday morning, but the suspect in this case was not a human, it was a badger.
This is the second reported badger encounter since April.
A video shared by Pismo Beach Police on social media shows the badger cornered in the yard of a home on the 200 block of Surf Street.
“A little bit of a commotion and came out and the police were out trying to trap an animal,” said Bret Miller, who lives in Pismo Beach.
This badger stood her ground as she was surrounded by police.
“Definitely was not a fan of the officers and was very uncooperative,” said Corporal Brian Hanson with the Pismo Beach Police Department.
In the video, you can see one officer by the sidewalk and the other one by a recycle bin in the front yard.
“Our officers attempted to encourage the badger to leave the property and return back to its home in its natural environment, which is nearby,” explained Corporal Hanson. “The badger was somewhat resistant to their efforts and decided that it wanted to hide underneath the house.”
In the post, the department said the badger likely made her way out to the nearby hillside.
Miller said he was pretty surprised to learn that this trespasser was a badger.
“A couple weeks ago, there was a bear in a neighborhood,” Miller added. “[In the] past, there’s been mountain lions and I saw a bobcat here before, so all kinds of birds of prey but nothing like that. Skunks — not uncommon, but badger is a unique animal.”
This is the second encounter in recent weeks in Pismo Beach.
On April 23, 2023, Pismo Beach Police responded to reports of a badger at a gas station.
“A badger entered the convenience store at the AM PM on Fourth Street and Five Cities and that one attempted to climb into a merchandise stand and had to be removed,” said Corporal Hanson. “That one was returned to its natural environment with no injuries or no harm to the animal. ”
KSBY News reached out to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. In a statement, the agency said that badgers are relatively common in San Luis Obispo County, typically in grasslands and oak woodlands.
“They mainly prey on ground squirrels and other rodents,” added David Hacker, Senior Environmental Scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. “They do not present any threat to people and are effective at reducing rodent populations.”
“Part of our community is butted up against the natural environment. We have a lot of wide open spaces,” said Corporal Hanson. “This is the animal's home as well, so we try to encourage them to return to their home. ”
If you see one, give it some space.
“It's best to keep the distance, keep an eye on it so you know where it is,” recommended Corporal Hanson. “If you do call us and we do have to respond or someone does respond, we have the most up-to-date information as to their location and their behavior. ”
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is trying to learn more about badgers since they are considered a species of special concern in California.
The agency is asking community members to report sightings and observations.
To report an encounter, click here.
