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Kids attending a Monrovia, California elementary school are likely wishing they took online classes Friday morning as a wild bear was spotted loose near the school. The large, wild black bear has been roaming around the area near the school since Thursday, and has been photographed and filmed by numerous passersby since Friday morning.
Thankfully, no one has yet been harmed by the bear. While personal injury attorney bills are the least of anyone’s worries Friday morning in Monrovia, the bear’s presence has been disconcerting, to say the least. People first saw the bear early Friday morning around 2 AM, and it has been ambling about aimlessly ever since.
At one point, the bear inspected two dogs behind a fence. Both canines barked repeatedly at the intruder, who eventually lost interest and continued wandering the neighborhood. People noted that Friday is the day trash cans are brought to the curb for pickup, so the bear was likely just foraging for a quick snack.
Authorities in Monrovia confirmed that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife had been notified. They immediately moved to help get the bear back into the wild and away from residential areas. Locals are, of course, advised to keep a respectable distance between themselves and the bear.
Generally speaking, black bears aren’t terribly dangerous to humans. However, it’s important to remember to never approach a bear or try to sneak up on one. If there is a bear in your vicinity, your best course of action is to make a lot of noise, make yourself look bigger than you are, and stand your ground.
As you can see from this video a passerby snapped, this particular bear isn’t looking for a human snack anytime soon.
TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT! A bear has been sighted in a neighborhood in Monrovia, California and one onlooker was beary close– too close. 😳😰 https://t.co/sdu9zA4lSq pic.twitter.com/XuTNUixRNH
— FOX 5 DC (@fox5dc) February 21, 2020
Running, sneaking or hiding can make you look like prey to the bear, which could result in it chasing or mauling you. Instead, if you stand your ground and act big and noisy, the bear could consider you another carnivore, like itself, and leave you alone.
