Blondie's Cubs Are Nearly Ready for the Wild. The Part Monrovia Controls Starts at the Curb.

By July, the two cubs at San Diego Humane Society's Ramona Wildlife Center had learned to run. Whenever staff walked past, the brothers ran into their den and hid. The City of Monrovia's July 10 update called that "a healthy fear of people that's critical for their future in the wild." They were about six months old and splashing in their pools. They were tearing apart root balls and rotting logs that wildlife staff had filled with insects.

That fear of people is exactly what their mother lost. The cubs will get their own release date from the State and the wildlife center. What happens after they come home depends on the foothill streets they came from.

Seven Months, From 5.8 Pounds to the Release Plan

The Pasadena Star-News reported the events this way:

1. March 14, 2026. Blondie, an adult female black bear known to Monrovia residents by name, swiped at a woman walking her dog. DNA later linked Blondie to an earlier incident in June 2025.
2. Mid-March. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife euthanized Blondie. CDFW described euthanasia as a last resort for an animal that poses a public-safety risk and cannot safely be returned to the wild. The Monrovia City Council had asked that Blondie and her cubs be relocated to the Angeles National Forest.
3. April 7. The city announced that her two male cubs were at the Ramona Wildlife Center, in good health and about two to three months old.
4. May 12 and 13. The cubs moved to an outdoor habitat and started feeding on their own, according to San Diego Humane Society and the Los Angeles Times.
5. July 10. In the city's update, the Ramona staff were preparing to meet with CDFW to finalize a release plan, with the goal of returning the cubs to the wild "this fall."
6. October 9 and 16. The city's weekly updates promoted merchandise sold to support the cubs' rehabilitation.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the cubs weighed just 5.8 and 7.6 pounds when they arrived and needed spoon-feeding four times a day. Staff wore bear masks and animal furs to feed them so the cubs would not learn to recognize humans. "Moving outside is a big step," Autumn Welch, the Humane Society's wildlife operations manager, said in a statement the Times quoted in May. "The cubs are gaining confidence, exploring and learning the skills they'll need to survive on their own."

The Release Date Belongs to the State

The city has been clear from the start that Monrovia does not set the release date. Its April 7 update named two typical release windows, October or May and June. It called October 2026 "a possibility" pending evaluation, and said "final approval will ultimately be determined by the State." The Humane Society's goal is to return cubs to their original area so the local ecosystem isn't disrupted. For these cubs, that means the foothills above Monrovia, and the city's April update spoke of releasing them back into the Angeles National Forest.

By the last days of October, that fall window is nearly over. No final release date or specific release site has been announced beyond that broad intended area, and nothing says the release has moved to the spring window. The city's updates through October 16 still describe the cubs as being in rehabilitation. The plain status is a stated goal of "this fall," a State decision still pending, and May or June as the next typical window if fall passes.

Wherever the cubs end up, they will return to the same kind of terrain their mother lived in. That's why CDFW's reasons for its decision in March matter now.

What CDFW Said About Blondie Is About the Neighborhood

The Los Angeles Times reported that Fish and Wildlife stood by its decision. The agency said Blondie had become too used to people to be relocated and would likely return. It also said she risked teaching her cubs to depend on humans for food and shelter. Monrovia Mayor Becky Shevlin told the paper in March, "The city was not a part of that conversation or decision."

The Times also reported the response from Blondie's followers. They pointed out that the responsibility falls on residents to be good bear neighbors, starting with sealing crawl spaces and trash cans so bears don't come to rely on people.

CDFW's published black bear guidance makes the same point. It says food-conditioned bears can grow bolder and their cubs can learn the same behavior, and it lists removing food attractants and blocking access to them, including with bear-proof containers, as the main remedy. In March, CDFW regional information officer Cort Klopping told the Pasadena Star-News that residents should secure crawl spaces, bring in pet food, deal with unsecured trash and close off sheltered spaces.

All summer, the cubs have been raised to treat people as something to hide from. Every source in this story, from the State agency to the bear's own fans, agrees on the same point. A bear holds on to that wariness when the yards it walks through offer nothing to eat or shelter under.

The City's Short List

In September, the city's update for National Preparedness Month included a "Living with Wildlife" item. It boiled the guidance down to a few lines:

Secure trash cans & pick fallen backyard fruit daily. Keep pet food inside and supervise pets outdoors. If you see a bear or coyote: Stay calm, do NOT run, keep your distance, and make loud noises!

The trash can is the item with the most local detail. The city's trash services page says Athens Services offers bear-resistant 90-gallon barrels in black or green. They come with a 36-month subscription agreement and an extra monthly fee. Residents in areas with heavy wildlife activity can request a green bear-lock bin through Athens.

One detail affects collection day. The lids have to be unlocked for the automated trucks to empty them. The city recommends putting unlocked barrels out the morning of pickup, not the night before, so they don't sit unlocked overnight.

Crawl spaces and the space under decks are a bigger job. The same September update pointed residents to Pasadena Humane's Wildlife Exclusion Program, which helps keep bears from denning in those spots. Services include home inspections, scent applications and sealing entry points. Pasadena Humane's exclusion services page lists its fees:

The program also covers exclusion advice, installation or referrals, camera monitoring and cleanup of animal remains and feces. Bears are one of the species it handles. Its most recent free exclusion workshop was on September 12, and no new date is posted yet.

Subscription terms and service fees change, so confirm the current details with Athens Services or Pasadena Humane before signing up. This post is general information, not legal or financial advice.

Paying for the Months in Between

The cubs' care isn't free while the release plan is worked out. The city's April update put the cost at about $400 per cub per week, which comes to $800 a week for the pair. That covers medical care, food and the enrichment that teaches them to forage. Donations go directly to the Humane Society at sdhumane.org/monroviabears.

The city has added its own fundraiser. Two limited-edition items are in the City of Monrovia Official Store, and all proceeds go to the cubs' rehabilitation. The Blondie's Bearcubs T-Shirt is $25 and shows a mother bear and her two cubs against the foothills. The Monrovia Bear Keychain is $10 and comes with a plush bear wearing a Monrovia shirt. Both are available while supplies last.

The city also said in April that it was working with state representatives on policy changes related to Blondie's case, along with a campaign to teach the community about living with wildlife. Whatever comes of that work, the release date will come from CDFW and the Ramona team.

If you live in the foothills and want to talk through what bear-resistant bins, exclusion work or other wildlife-proofing projects mean for a home you plan to keep or sell, Renee Bannoura is glad to share what she has seen across the San Gabriel Valley. Let's Connect.