Bear Cubs from Monrovia Arrive at San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center for Specialized Care

RAMONA, CA — Two black bear cubs from Monrovia are receiving specialized care at San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center, where they will be raised with the goal of giving them the best possible chance to return to the wild.

The brothers arrived in Ramona on March 15, 2026, after the mother was deemed a threat to public safety by law enforcement officials. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize the sow, after DNA testing confirmed the bear was involved in two separate public safety incidents in the area within the last year.

The male cubs are estimated to be two to three months old. They will be raised by San Diego Humane Society’s Project Wildlife team with minimal human interaction to help ensure they remain wild. To avoid habituation, staff use bear masks, animal furs and scents to conceal their human identity during care.

“Raising bear cubs from this young age requires an extraordinary amount of time, expertise and resources,” said Autumn Welch, Wildlife Operations Manager at San Diego Humane Society. “We don’t want them to associate with humans in any way if they are going to have a chance to survive in their natural habitat.”

The rehabilitation of orphaned cubs like these is not only important for the individual animals involved, but also for helping interrupt a dangerous generational cycle of habituation and conflict. Mother bears teach their cubs how to survive by modeling behavior. When bears learn to seek out food or shelter around people, cubs can also learn to associate homes and neighborhoods with resources, increasing the likelihood of future human-wildlife conflict.

“Situations like this underscore the importance of prevention and shared responsibility,” said Cort Klopping at CDFW. “Bears are highly adaptable and will seek out food and shelter when opportunities are present. 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 behaviors and habituation to people. These actions help keep both people and wildlife safe and bears wild,” said Klopping.

As a nonprofit, San Diego Humane Society relies entirely on donations for its work to care for more than 10,000 wild animals each year. To support this vital work or learn more, please visit: sdhumane.org/wildlife.