Mountain Views News, Combined edition

Combined Edition

Inside this Week:

SM Community Calendar:
SM Calendar of Events

Sierra Madre:
Walking SM … The Social Side

Around The San Gabriel Valley:
Chef Peter Dills
Table for Two

Things to Do & More:

Pasadena – Altadena:
Local City Meetings

Arcadia · Monrovia · Duarte:
Arcadia Police Blotter
Monrovia Police Blotter

Altadena · So. Pasadena · San Marino:

Education & Youth:

Best Friends:
… This and That
Pet of the Week
Katnip News!

The Good Life:
Senior Happenings

The World Around Us:
Family Matters
Out to Pastor
Newspaper Fun!

Opinion … Left/Right:
Dick Polman
Tom Purcell
Michael Reagan
The Funnies

Legal Notices (1):

Legal Notices (2):

Legal Notices (3):

Legal Notices (4):

Legal Notices (5):

Legal Notices (6):

F. Y. I. :

Columnists:
Deanne Davis
Peter Dills
Marc Garlett
Katie Hopkins
Rev. James Snyder

Recent Issues:
Issue 23
Issue 22
Issue 21
Issue 20
Issue 19
Issue 18
Issue 17
Issue 16
Issue 15
Issue 14
Issue 13

Archives:
MVNews Archive:  Page 1

MVNews this week:  Page 1

SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2019 

VOLUME 13 NO. 24

SIERRA MADRE CIVIC CLUB AWARDS GRANTS 
TO 14 ORGANIZATIONS

MAMA BEAR, BABY BEAR, 
DOG AND DOG OWNER 
SURVIVE ENCOUNTER 

WITHOUT CATASTROPHE 

 
The City of Sierra Madre is a Wildlife 
Sanctuary and as such any incident involving 
the clashing of cultures between 
humans, and in this case domesticated 
animals, concerns just about the entire 
town.

 Early last week, a black bear and her 
cub came down from the hillsides and 
encountered a dog who apparently did 
not care for the visitors in the dogs backyard, 
Numerous accounts say the dog 
was particularly interested in why the 
cub was in the tree and that did not sit 
well with Mama Bear who decided to 
protect her cub. In turn, the homeowner 
came out to save his dog, and he too 
was 'addressed' by Mama bear. That is 
the lighter version of the incident. 

Both the man and his dog escaped serious 
injury and Mama Bear and her cub 
eventually were released back into the 
hillsides.

 The incident captured the attention of 
many residents who were fearful that the 
adult bear would be euthanised. That 
did not happen. There was further concern 
that the mother and her cub would 
be separated. That didn't happen either.

 However, what did happen was a reminder 
of the challenges we face in this 
area 'living with wildlife'.

 Here is a portion of the official version 
of events from the California Department 
of Fish and Wildlife:

The adult black bear that scratched a man 
on his Sierra Madre property on June 10 
was protecting her cub and not acting abnormally 
aggressive, a California Department 
of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) investigation 
has concluded. CDFW is in the 
process of releasing both the bear and cub 
back to suitable habitat near the location 
where they were captured. As the paper 
went to press we received confirmation 
that the bear family was indeed released 
together back into the forest. 

 The sow strayed onto the man’s property, 
where the adult bear was challenged by 
the man’s dog. The sow had a cub nearby. 
The dog reportedly engaged in a physical 
confrontation with the sow prompting the 
man to run into the fray to save his dog. 
He kicked the sow, which prompted it to 
scratch him. CDFW biologists concluded 
the bear acted in defense of itself and its 
cub, which constitutes normal behavior. 
The man successfully saved the dog and 
called 911. The injuries to the man and 
his dog were not serious and both are expected 
to fully recover.

A wildlife officer responded to the scene 
and tranquilized both bears after the man 
identified them as the ones involved in the 
incident. Officers collected DNA evidence 
samples from the man and the sow and 
sent them to the CDFW Wildlife Forensics 
Laboratory in Sacramento for analysis. 
Forensics scientists compared the 
DNA profile of the captured adult bear to 
those of evidence taken from the man to 
conclude with a very high level of confidence 
that the captured bear was the one 
involved in the incident.

Forensics scientists also compared the 
bear’s DNA to the DNA evidence collected 
from a bear attack reported on April 
25, also in Sierra Madre. The evidence 
showed that it was not the same bear.

CDFW reminds Californians that much 
of the state is bear country, even Los Angeles 
County, one of the most populated 
counties in the United States. CDFW 
encourages the citizens of Sierra Madre 
and anyone living in and around bear 
habitat to review tips on how to better 
coexist with bears and other wildlife at 
KeepMeWild.org. CDFW also recently 
published seven things to know about 
California bear activity right now.

(1) Has there been an increase in the 
number of bears entering residential 
areas?

There is a definite uptick in bear activity, 
which occurs every year around this 
time, all across the state. In most instances, 
we’re witnessing the dispersal 
of young male black bears. Young bears 
typically spend about two years with 
their mother, after which the mother 
chases off her young male offspring in 
the spring to fend for themselves. The 
behavior itself is not unusual for the 
time of year.

Nature provides these youngsters with 
the best chance of survival as they are 
turned out on their own at a time of year 
when food and water resources on the 
landscape are the most available and 
plentiful.

 California’s black bears of all ages are 
waking up hungry from their winter 
downtime and are out actively searching 
for food. Adult bears may also be out 
searching for mates. There is more bear 
activity across the state this time of year 
and sometimes the adults end up in the 
wrong place, too.

2.Even when bears are spotted in populated 
and residential communities, the 
bears will typically and happily find their 
way back to wild habitat on their own 
without any kind of assistance. Only 
when a bear becomes stuck in a situation 
where it can’t escape or is in danger 
of harming itself or others will CDFW 
typically intervene to remove the bear 
and safely return it to wild habitat.

(3) In some unfortunate cases throughout 
the state, black bears are being 
struck and hit by vehicles on the roadways. 
Drivers need to be particularly 
alert this time of year as wildlife of all 
kinds – bears, bobcats, deer, coyotes, 
foxes, among them – are on the move, 
out and about, and more active and visible 
than usual.

(4) Are these bears a public safety threat 
or a threat to my pets?

Black bears very rarely pose any kind of 
public safety threat and are not often a 
threat to domestic dogs and cats. For the 
most part, they do their very best to stay 
as far away from people as possible.

 (5) What kind of bears are these?

California is home only to one species of 
bear – the black bear. Black bears, however, 
come in a variety of colors, including 
black, brown, blond and cinnamon.

(6) How can I help the bears?

Bears have a highly specialized sense 
of smell. The public can help bears stay 
out of human settlements and stick to 
their natural diet by properly disposing 
of leftover food and garbage and securing 
other attractants such as pet food 
so these dispersing bears don’t become 
acclimated to urban environments. CDFW’s 
Keep Me Wild: Black Bear webpage 
offers a number of other useful tips 
to keep the bears wild and safe.

(7) Who should I call to report a bear? 

A black bear spotted while out hiking, 
camping or recreating in wild habitat is 
not necessarily a cause for alarm. Bears 
spotted in residential, suburban or urban 
areas should be reported to the nearest CDFW regional office during normal business hours. After-hours or weekend 
sightings should be reported first to local police or sheriff officers, who often can respond and secure a scene quickly and 
then contact CDFW as needed. In any kind of emergency situation, please call 911.

 The photo above was submitted by a Sierra Madre resident the very next day. This is not the same bear as in the incident 
mentioned above. MVNews 

 Civic Club President Marcia Bent announced to the City Council and general public the awarding of 14 grants to a variety 
of local charities. Pictured above are representatives of the respective groups. A total of $9,500 was disbursed from 
the Civic Club's philanthropy funds. The recipients were:

Civic Club Beautification Committee/Wistaria Vine

City of Sierra Madre Mount Wilson Trail Race

Convalescent Aid Society

Creative Arts Group

Reading is Fundamental

Sierra Madre CERT

Sierra Madre Community Foundation/Fletcher Fund

Sierra Madre Community Foundation/4th of July Committee

Sierra Madre Elementary PTA

Sierra Madre Historical Preservation Society

Sierra Madre Pioneer Cemetery Association

Sierra Madre Playhouse

Sierra Madre Public Library

Sierra Madre Rose Float Association

and the Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team. 

 Organized in 1944 by women "who were interested in creating a better community", their purpose is to promote Sierra 
Madre as a friendly, caring place to live. They meet on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at the Hart Park 
House in Sierra Madre’s Memorial Park. For additional information go to: www.sierramadrecivicclub.org. 

Photo by Mary Lou Caldwell


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com

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Mountain Views News 80 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. #327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.604.4548 www.mtnviewsnews.com