Orphaned Monrovia – Two orphaned bear cubs after their mother was euthanized are now feeding independently and preparing for release after intensive rehabilitation.
Two orphaned Monrovia bear cubs are moving closer to the freedom wildlife advocates hoped for—after their mother was euthanized over objections from local leaders.
State wildlife officials euthanized the mother bear known as “Blondie” in March. but the fate of her two surviving cubs remained uncertain for months.. The cubs. brothers about four months old in the most recent update. weighed just 5.8 and 7.6 pounds and required spoon-feeding four times a day.. Care teams also worked to prevent the cubs from learning to associate people with food or safety. a key part of keeping them able to develop the survival skills they will need once they are fully on their own.
Now, the cubs have reached a promising stage in rehabilitation.. They have transitioned into an outdoor habitat at the San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center and have begun feeding independently.. The group’s wildlife operations manager. Autumn Welch. said that moving outside is a major step. with the animals gaining confidence as they explore and practice the skills they’ll need for life on their own.
To mimic how bears grow up in the wild. staff at the San Diego Humane Society say they adjusted their approach over time.. They began by using bear masks and animal furs and even crawled into the enclosure to spoon-feed the cubs’ formula. aiming to minimize human imprinting.. As the cubs developed. they were gradually introduced to solid foods and have shown preference for items including fruits and leaves from native plants.. They are expected to keep exploring the larger outdoor area as their confidence grows.
News of the cubs’ progress has landed in a region still processing the controversy surrounding Blondie’s death.. In March. local residents and officials expressed shock. saying the decision came too quickly and without sufficient consideration for the mother’s offspring.. Monrovia Mayor Becky Shevlin said the city was not part of the conversation or decision and described the outcome as especially painful given that Blondie had two young cubs.
Fish and wildlife officials, meanwhile, defended the choice.. The state reported that Blondie had become too accustomed to people to be relocated into the forest safely. and that she was likely to return to areas where she could spark additional conflict.. Officials also said there was a concern that she could pass along behaviors tied to reliance on humans for food and shelter to her cubs.
Blondie’s supporters challenged that framing. arguing that any human-bear conflict is shaped by resident behavior and by whether bears are drawn toward accessible food.. They pointed to the responsibility of residents to take preventative steps such as sealing crawl spaces and securing trash cans. saying those measures help prevent bears from developing patterns of depending on people.
The dispute did more than intensify debate locally—it also helped spur state legislative action.. The killing of Blondie inspired state Sen.. Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas) to introduce Senate Bill 1135, a proposal aimed at requiring nonlethal approaches to human-wildlife conflicts.. The bill. as described by supporters. would include public education on reducing negative encounters. provide technical assistance designed to keep bears and wolves away from human habitats. and maintain a statewide system for tracking incidents.
For residents following the case, the cubs’ survival and rehabilitation have become a focal point.. Monrovia resident Brian Gordon said Tuesday that he was thankful to hear the brothers are doing well and hoped they can learn the essential lessons needed for release into the wild.. He also said Blondie’s legacy has helped build momentum behind SB 1135. including calls for improvements to state wildlife policies and for more transparency.
As the cubs continue moving from close human-backed care toward greater independence. wildlife officials and rehabilitators will be watching the same factors that shaped their early treatment: whether the brothers can feed effectively without assistance. whether they remain cautious of people. and how they adjust to the outdoor environment.. The transition to an outdoor habitat is not the end of the work. but it is a key indicator that the intensive early feeding and careful handling may be translating into the habits needed for eventual life in the wild.
Orphaned bear cubs Monrovia bear Blondie euthanized wildlife rehabilitation San Diego Humane Society Senate Bill 1135
they killed the mom for no reason and now want credit for saving the babies ok
Wait so they wore bear masks to feed them?? That is honestly the weirdest thing ive ever heard but also kind of amazing I guess. My neighbor told me about this story weeks ago and said the cubs were not gonna make it so glad she was wrong lol.
This is exactly what happens when the government gets involved with wildlife they always make the wrong call first and then spend thousands fixing it. They euthanized the mom because she was probably eating trash cans or whatever and now taxpayers are paying for all this rehabilitation stuff in San Diego which is like hours away from Monrovia anyway. I just dont understand why they couldnt have relocated the whole family together in the first place instead of killing her and then acting like heroes for saving the cubs. My uncle used to work for fish and game and he said they always take the easy way out. Its sad and the local leaders were totally right to object but nobody listened like usual.
Blondie was her name?? I cant. Anyway hope the little guys do okay out there, bears are smarter than people give them credit for and fruits and leaves from native plants sounds like they eating better than me honestly