The Los Angeles Times reports that California Department of Fish and Game officials have decided the Lions, Tigers, and Bears sanctuary in Alpine where he's being held can become the permanent home of the California black bear known as Meatball for his food-filching hijinks. 

The bear currently lives in a 15-foot by 20-foot cage, but the sanctuary is raising funds to build the 400-pound 5-year-old a new habitat with a waterfall, hammocks, trees and caves. 

Meatball was initially going to be sent to a Colorado wildlife refuge, but state regulations there forbade it. 

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)