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Mountain View News Saturday, March 21, 2026 

MEMORIAL SERVICE HELD FOR 
"BLONDIE" THE BEAR 


Blondie, the Monrovia mother bear euthanized 
by state wildlife officials after being deemed a 
public safety threat, was remembered by a few 
dozen people Saturday during a memorial and 
peace walk.

 The event began at 9 a.m. Saturday at Monrovia 
Library Park and was organized by the Adrenaline 
Run Club, which described it as a ``peaceful, 
respectful gathering for community reflection.''

 Blondie, who swiped at woman's leg last Saturday 
as the woman walked her dog, was captured 
Monday along with her two cubs. The woman 
sustained a minor injury, but state wildlife officials 
said DNA testing showed the same bear 
had scratched a man on his porch last year and 
so Blondie was put down. 

Her orphaned cubs will be raised in a wildlife 
facility until that can care for themselves in the wild, according the California Department 
of Fish and Wildlife. 

``I'm heartbroken -- I've had people tell me they can see it on my face; I am trulyheartbroken,'' Monrovia resident Ashley Howe-Storms told KTLA5 on Saturday. 
Blondie's been in our life for about four or five years. We watched her grow up as a 
cub, this was her first set of cubs. She was a spirit in our community, a spirit in the 
neighborhood, and we're just devastated.'' 

Blondie was killed despite pleas from the Monrovia City Council and more than 
3,800 people who signed a petition seeking to spare the bear's life.

 Brian Gordon of Monrovia had organized the petition drive on Change.org. 
It originally called for officials with the CDFW to ``carefully consider all available 
options other than euthanasia, including relocation, rehabilitation, or other 
humane management approaches that prioritize both public safety and wildlife 
conservation.'' 

After the bruin was killed, he shifted the petition's focus. It now asks for a more 
deliberative process before bears are euthanized in the future. 

Gordon had written that the situation had broader implications than one encounter. 
``It is about how we choose to coexist with wildlife in our communities,'' 
he wrote, adding, ``Protecting both people and wildlife requires thoughtful, 
balanced decisions. Please sign and share to help give Blondie and her cubs a second 
chance.''

 Monrovia City Manager Dylan Feik said he was informed Tuesday by theCDFW that the mother bear had been euthanized -- despite the city's desire forthe animal to be relocated into the Angeles National Forest, and the more than3,800 signatures Gordon's petition garnered.

 ``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.''

 Authorities said a neighbor helped to scare the bear away during the latest encounter, 
when the cubs were not present.

 In June 2025, a Monrovia man was sitting on his enclosed porch when he was 
approached by a bear that swiped at him. The resident was injured but recovered, 
and the bear at that time could not be located.

 ``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.''

 Some said Blondie was simply exhibiting instinctively protective maternal 
behavior.

 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).

 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 potentiallydangerous encounters. Copyright 2026, City News Service, Inc. 

MONROVIA BEAR LETTER TO THE EDITOR 

This morning I hazed a young beautiful bear away from my neighborhood 
(the intersection of Old Ranch Rd and Pleasant Hill). He/she immediatelyleft the area when I blasted the bear horn. 

There were no other people or cars on the street at the time. 

Our bears are definitely coming out of "soft hibernation". To keep yourself 
safe, your property protected, and our bears wild you should safely haze 
(scare) bears away whenever they are on or close to your property. DO NOT 
let them lounge on your porch, swim in your pool, eat your trash etc. 

This causes habituation and could result in the untimely death of a beautiful 
healthy bear (like the recent bear Blondie in Monrovia 

from Michele 

CS ARTS SGV SHARES 
SUCCESSES 

Leon Metoyer, Assistant Principal 
of Facilities and Supervision provided 
Duarte Kiwanis Club with a 
remarkable update at a recent meeting. 
CS Arts San Gabriel Valley currently 
has 1300 students from 90 
cities and 7 counties! The school 
pro-vides "an unparalleled arts and 
academic education in a creative, 
challenging, and nurturing environment 
to a diverse student body 
passionate about the arts, pre-paring 
them to reach their highest potential." 
Core values include: 

• Student growth and education 
come first. 
• Commitment to excellence, 
innovation, professionalism, and 
integrity.
• Foster a nurturing environment 
of creativity, respect, and 
collaboration. 
• Commitment to life-long artistic and scholarly development. 
The 2025 graduating class was extremely successful. With 236 graduates, 100% of the graduates 
were accepted into Higher Educational Institutions. The average GPA was 3.94. Scholarships totaling 
$5,000,00 were offered. Pictured – left, Duarte Kiwanis President, Mercedes Ruiz right, Leon 
Metoyer, Assistant Principal Facilities and Supervision.

 If you are interested in joining the Duarte Kiwanis or presenting at a future meet-ing, please contact 
Tina Carey at tinac51@aol.com 


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