‘It hurts me’: Calif. mama bear euthanized after weekend attack, cubs orphaned

Wildlife officials have euthanized a mother bear involved in a recent encounter with a woman in a Los Angeles County suburb after DNA evidence connected the animal to a similar incident that happened the previous year. The decision has drawn criticism from residents in the area, where sightings of bears wandering through neighborhoods are fairly common.

The encounter occurred Saturday morning in Monrovia, a community located along the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. A woman walking her dog along Oakglade Drive came across the bear. According to Monrovia City Manager Dylan Feik, the dog barked at the animal, and the bear swiped at the woman, scratching the back of her knee. A nearby resident intervened and helped drive the bear away. Police said the woman suffered injuries that were not life-threatening and was able to leave the area safely.

Anne Bryant, executive director of the BEAR League, a nonprofit based near Lake Tahoe, said the bear had recently given birth to two cubs in January. Although the cubs were not present during the incident, Bryant said the mother likely reacted out of instinct to protect them, noting that young cubs are especially vulnerable.

Following the encounter, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife set traps near a home where the bear and her cubs had been denning. Officials captured the animals on Sunday. Before being caught, the bear briefly attracted attention locally after appearing behind a television reporter during a live broadcast from Monrovia.

After testing confirmed the bear’s DNA matched that of an animal involved in a separate encounter last June, wildlife officials decided to euthanize it. In that earlier case, the bear reportedly approached an older resident sitting on a porch and swiped at him before a caretaker scared it away. Authorities were unable to capture the bear at that time but collected a DNA sample.

City officials said the state ultimately made the decision to put the animal down because two incidents involving injuries met the criteria under state policy. Monrovia leaders had asked that the bear and her cubs instead be relocated to the Angeles National Forest, but they were told the final decision rested with state wildlife authorities.

The move sparked backlash among some residents, with several people expressing anger on social media. Some argued the bear was simply acting as a protective mother.

Bryant said she initially believed the animal’s behavior could be explained by maternal instincts, but she reconsidered once she learned the bear had been involved in more than one incident with people. While she said the outcome was difficult to accept, she also stressed that wildlife officials must prevent situations where a bear could seriously injure or kill someone.

The two cubs were taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center where they will be raised until they are old enough to survive on their own. Once they are ready, officials plan to release them back into a suitable habitat.

Wildlife authorities said relocation was not considered a good solution because bears often return to areas they know well. If moved to unfamiliar territory, they may struggle to find resources and could repeat the same behaviors that brought them into conflict with people.

Researchers say bear sightings in the San Gabriel Valley have grown more common in recent years. UCLA researcher Wilson Sherman said suburban environments offer many attractive food sources for bears, including garbage, pet food, fruit trees and even swimming pools. As bears emerge from hibernation, they often explore neighborhoods in search of easy meals.

Although urban environments pose dangers such as traffic, Sherman said they can also provide abundant resources compared with natural forests, especially during droughts or after wildfires reduce available food.

He believes bears will likely continue appearing in the region as mothers teach their cubs how to navigate suburban environments. These animals are highly adaptable and capable of climbing fences, crossing roads and finding food sources in residential areas.

Wildlife officials also said such learned behavior played a role in their decision to euthanize the bear. If cubs observe their mother repeatedly accessing human food or shelter, they may grow up associating people and homes with resources, increasing the risk of future conflicts.

Experts say the growing presence of bears in populated areas means communities must learn how to coexist with them safely. Sherman said that requires both proper funding for wildlife agencies and public education about reducing attractants.

Residents are encouraged to secure trash, avoid leaving pet food outside, and keep doors and windows closed so bears do not learn to associate homes with food. Bryant added that people in Southern California may not have as much experience living alongside bears as residents in regions like Lake Tahoe, and she urged communities to become more familiar with guidelines for safely sharing space with wildlife.

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