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Monrovia council presses state Fish & Wildlife after bear that attacked resident was euthanized
Summary
City Manager Dylan told the council a bear that swiped a resident in the Ridge neighborhood was trapped and euthanized after DNA linked it to a prior attack; council members criticized the speed of the decision, requested more information about the cubs, and discussed pursuing letters to state officials or legislative remedies to increase local input on wildlife decisions.
City Manager Dylan briefed the Monrovia City Council on March 17 about a recent human-bear interaction in the Ridge neighborhood that left a resident with non-life-threatening injuries. Dylan said Department of Fish and Wildlife officers captured the adult bear and her two cubs, matched DNA linking the adult to a June 2025 incident in which the same bear injured an elderly resident, and informed city officials the adult had been euthanized following the agency's internal review.
Dylan said Monrovia staff had lobbied state wildlife officials to relocate the bear and cubs to Angeles National Forest and offered assistance, but by the time local officials intervened the euthanasia had already occurred. He read officials' account that the bear had "normalized" to the neighborhood and had engaged residents without provocation on multiple occasions; the agency told the city that relocation carried a high risk of the bear returning.
Council members pressed Dylan and staff for more detail about the Fish and Wildlife decision-making process, asking whether the agency used a written checklist, which committee reviewed the case, and why local officials and residents were not given more opportunity for input. Council members voiced frustration that the decision appeared to be made quickly and without consultation; several urged the city to send formal letters to state wildlife leadership and to contact Assemblymember Harbedian about potential legislative changes to provide an appeals mechanism or greater local involvement.
Council members also requested information about the cubs' current status and whether the city could assist rehabilitators or fund care. Multiple speakers underscored the community's strong emotional reaction: residents and council members said they love the local bears and described the decision as heartbreaking.
The council did not direct a formal legal action at the meeting but discussed next steps for information gathering and outreach, including drafting questions for Fish and Wildlife about the factors that led to euthanasia, the committee that reviewed the case, and the criteria applied when relocation versus euthanasia is chosen.
The city manager emphasized that the state agency had told him its policy generally seeks to avoid euthanasia where possible but judged that multiple human injuries and the bear's pattern of behavior made relocation unlikely to succeed. Monrovia officials said they will pursue further details and consider letters or coordination with state elected officials.
