Monrovia Residents Concerned That Family Of Bears Appears Sick

MONROVIA (CBSLA.com) — Residents in a Monrovia neighborhood for once are not worried about the bears wandering about their homes; they're more concerned that the animals appear sick.

A trio of bears believed to be full-grown mother bear with her two cubs has appeared with increasing frequency in a Monrovia neighborhood. Residents say the bears appear to be thinner, possibly because of the drought.

Bear sightings have become so common in Monrovia that resident Tricia Rodriguez now has a routine for stepping into her back yard.

"I'll just kind of stop and look and listen for anything. Um, make sure there's no bears back here," Rodriguez said.

Last night, the little bear family hung out in Rodriguez's tree for hours. She's concerned that the drought is forcing them into her back yard to look for food and water.

"The babies have been small since I've seen them. They haven't seemed to get any bigger," Rodriguez said. "I don't know how old they are or what size they should be. The mom doesn't look at big as the other bears that we've seen."

The Department of Fish and Wildlife says there's no need to worry. Wardens who have seen the bears believe the cubs were born later in the year, and that's why they appear small.