Mama bear euthanized after swiping at Monrovia woman; cubs orphaned

MONROVIA, Calif. - Questions are mounting Wednesday after state wildlife officials euthanized a mother bear in Monrovia following an encounter with a local resident. 

The decision has sparked backlash from community members and city leaders who argue the bear was simply protecting her young.

What we know:

Personnel with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) euthanized the bear following an incident Saturday morning where she swiped at a woman's leg. 

A neighbor helped to scare the bear away, and the cubs were not there during the attack. 

While the woman was not seriously injured, DNA testing confirmed this same bear had swiped at a man in the same area in June 2025. The resident was injured but recovered, and the bear at that time could not be located.

 As a result, state officials determined the bear was a "public safety risk." 

"The bear DNA from Saturday's incident matches the bear DNA from the June 2025 incident," Feik said. "Local CDFW officials, as well as those working at state offices in Sacramento, determined the two incidents which caused human injury were sufficient justification to euthanize the bear, according to state policy."

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The bear's two orphaned cubs have since been captured and placed in a wildlife facility to be raised for future release.

What they're saying:

According to Monrovia City Manager Dylan Feik, he was informed Tuesday by the CDFW that the mother bear had been euthanized, despite the city's desire for the animal to be relocated into the Angeles National Forest.

According to Feik, the bear's two cubs "are healthy and will be relocated to a facility where they can be repopulated back into wildland areas."

"I am sorry to share the unfortunate news," Feik said in a statement. "The Monrovia City Council requested and lobbied for the bear and her cubs to be relocated into the Angeles National Forest but the decision was never the city's to make. By the time we were able to speak with state officials involved in the decision-making, the decision to euthanize was already made."

On Wednesday afternoon, the CDFW issued a statement that defended its decision to put the bear down.

"Anytime there is human-wildlife conflict, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's foremost responsibility is the protection of human life and ensuring public safety," the statement read. "With that priority in mind, the black bear responsible for the March 14 attack on a resident in Monrovia, Los Angeles County, has been determined by CDFW law enforcement officers to be a public safety... (threat).

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The decision to terminate the bear followed "thorough assessment of the bear's behavior and the circumstances of the incident," according to state wildlife officials, who said killing an animal "is used only as a last resort when an animal poses a risk to public safety and cannot be safely returned to the wild."

The CDFW says the sad outcome and others like it "underscore the importance of prevention."

"Bears are highly adaptable and will seek out food and shelter when opportunities are present," officials said. "Securing crawl spaces, removing food attractants such as unsecured trash or pet food and eliminating access to sheltered areas around homes are critical steps residents must take to reduce the likelihood of conflict and habituation. These actions help keep both people and wildlife safe and bears wild."

The statement went on to say that mother bears teach their foraging methods to cubs, who can learn to associate people and homes with food, creating potentially dangerous encounters.

"Relocation may seem like a solution, but is not an option when it could put public safety at risk. Bears have strong spatial memory and often return to familiar areas," the wildlife department said. "When translocated long distances, they recreate the same conflict behavior or struggle to survive in unfamiliar habitat. Without humans taking steps to reduce attractants and access to urbanized shelter, the underlying issue remains."

What we don't know:

It remains unclear exactly where the cubs will be housed or the specific timeline for their eventual return to the wild. 

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What's next:

Over 3,000 people signed a petition to save the animal, with supporters arguing she was "simply exhibiting instinctively protective maternal behavior."