Jerry Shutman, a resident of Monrovia, told NBC4 Los Angeles that he saw the bear and her cub digging up plants and bringing them under his house on Monday. He said they opened the gate and appeared to create a “nest” with the plants they pulled under the house and into the crawlspace.
“They don’t hibernate in the area, that’s what I’ve been told,” Shutman said, sharing his suspicion that the mother bear may be close to giving birth.
He told City News Service that he called the police and was advised to use ammonia to keep the bear away. It didn’t keep the bear and her cub away and Shutman saw the pair Tuesday morning. When he spoke with City News Service later that day on Tuesday, he said he hadn’t heard her in a few hours.
“It’s possible that she left or it’s possible that she may have just settled down and is quiet,” Shutman told the publication on Tuesday.
He said he was concerned the bear may cause damage to his house, noting some insulation was torn up, and he worried they may do something to the electrical wiring.
According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, black bears are the only wild bears that can be found in the state. Their colors may vary from solid black to brown, and some can have patches of color.
Black bears may be found throughout North America, and they are common in California. The population of California black bears is estimated to be about 30,000, and they typically prefer to live in mountainous areas. Monrovia is a municipality in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.
Bears generally hibernate during the winter months of the year, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife stated that black bears can doze for many months.
“Bears can go on slumbering because their warm pelts, lower tendency to lose heat and large body mass allow them to better retain body heat,” the organization noted.
Amelia Viera, an environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, told Newsweek that it can be common for bears to nest in a person’s home, especially when winter weather moves in. She said that bears are also becoming more habituated in people’s neighborhoods.
However, in southern California, Viera said bears don’t necessarily go into full hibernation. Although they’ll den, the bears will go through what’s known as “seasonal torpor” in which they reduce their activity levels.
She said if someone discovers a bear nested in their home, they might face some challenges in getting it out because they can be stubborn. A homeowner can use an airhorn or something loud to coax the bear out, but they must be swift in ensuring there isn’t a way for the bear to return.
Viera also made note of the reporting service that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife offers to people who need additional assistance.
Shutman is not the only homeowner who had a bear break into his house.
Newsweek reported in November that a Colorado woman posted a video showing a bear eating frozen meat from her freezer in her garage.
Amy Franklin posted the video to her Facebook account and said she forgot to shut the garage door.
Update 12/20/21, 5:40 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from environmental scientist Amelia Viera.
