Watch CBS News

Mother Bear Makes Home Under Monrovia Residence

MONROVIA (CBSLA) - A Monrovia resident received quite the shock when he learned that he had gained at least two new roommates.

monrovia bear

Jerry Shutman was looking out one of his windows when he saw a mother bear and a cub on his property early Monday morning. He also saw that the cover to the crawlspace under his home had been removed, leading him to believe that he has a couple of new tenants. "I looked out the window and checked the cover on the crawl space and it had been dislodged," said Shutman, "My guess is she's going to have a baby, a cub, but I don't know for sure."

Apparently, this isn't the first time the mother bear and her cub have visited Shutman's crawlspace. The two always left shortly after though, leaving him with little to be concerned about.

However, this time around, it looks like their stay is intended to be a little longer, as he told CBS reporters that he has seen the mother bear dragging clumps of grass and plants underneath his house, what he suspects isn't just interior decoration, but the makings for a warm den for the duo - possibly soon to be trio - of bears.

He continues to find both the replaced cover and cinder blocks that he placed in front of the crawlspace tossed aside, indicating that the bears are continuing to take shelter under his home.

monrovia bear2

Shutman called local authorities for advice on how to handle the situation. They recommended he soak rags in ammonia and leave them under the crawlspace.

He did just that, and then the winter storm came along - washing away all traces of ammonia.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife reports that bears are beginning to look for warm places to claim as their own den as colder weather settles in. In this instance, as with many this year, bears are looking for quite the upgrade in their temporary residences, settling in under crawlspaces across the state, as opposed to the more traditional burrow or cave lodging.

According to Shutman, the bears haven't left since Monday."I know that the mother bear is still here, because I heard them making noise this morning," he said. "I'm worried; they make a mess. They tear up the insulation underneath, I know that's already happened. And I'm afraid they're going to tear electrical wires."

monrovia bear3

Fish and Wildlife officials recommend that if you find yourself in the same position, to file a "Wildlife Incident Report" on their website, so a professional can come out and handle the situation. They also recommend to make sure your crawl spaces are sealed tightly.

Next time around, Shutman plans on heeding their advice, "I'm gonna make sure that they're out when I close it. ... Attach the cover with bolts so that it's permanent."

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.